The Western Cape is ranked number one on a national list of 2019 recycling champions.

Following the recent announcement of a 6% year-on-year increase in the recycling of PET plastic bottles, national industry body the PET Recycling Company (Petco) unveiled its recycling champions.

The list included those making strides even at grassroots level.

Petco said the province led the national list, with nine category winners.

This includes Rocco da Silva and Franschhoek’s Jocelyn van der Ross, who overcame unemployment and three fires to run a successful recycling business.

Da Silva, from Somerset West, started The Future Kids Club, which aims to encourage youth in his area to participate in monthly beach clean-ups.

Over the past 14 months, members have collected in excess of 950kg of rubbish off a local 400m stretch of beach.

Other Western Cape winners include Hout Bay community project Thrive, UCT academic Takunda Chitaka and Plastics SA environmental manager John Kieser.