ABI’s study is based on information gathered from 11 SMMEs within their respective programmes and was targeted at increasing volumes of waste (polyethylene terephthalate – PET and cans) recovered, while at the same time developing rural communities and emerging SMMEs
On 29 September this year, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), The Coca-Cola Company and its bottler, Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), as well as the CSIR held a Waste Management Dialogue in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng. The theme for the dialogue was ‘Integrating the informal sector and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) into municipal solid waste management in South Africa’. At the event, government, the scientific community, and the private sector came together to take a closer look at the informal waste sector and its vital role in the South African waste economy, especially with regards to diverting recyclables from landfill.
Members of the DEA, CSIR, and ABI each delivered presentations on ongoing research into these areas, focusing on job creation through the promotion and support of recycling. ABI’s presentation was delivered by sustainable development manager Gaopaleloe Mothoagae.
Private sector goals
Coca-Cola’s stated goals are: to recover and recycle 50% of the equivalent bottles and cans introduced globally by the end of this year and to recover and recycle 75% of bottles and cans it introduces into developed markets by 2020. In pursuit of these goals and more general sustainability objectives, ABI launched a research study aiming to share learnings around SMME development in the solid waste removal industry and discover how they can be deployed into the economy for a wider impact, while at the same time creating sustainable jobs.
Read more here.
