This Mandela Day, Polyco will be sending out 2700 care packages to waste reclaimers at its Packa-Ching buy-back centres and its enterprise development projects located across the country.

Waste reclaimers play a critical role within South Africa’s waste management environment. Each year, they divert an estimated 82% of discarded recyclable packaging material that has not been separated at source (sorted into recycling bags at homes and businesses) amounting to approximately 24 tonnes from landfills per reclaimer per annum. Effectively recycling this waste means that municipalities have to dig fewer landfills, which saves them roughly R748 million annually.

Waste reclaimers work under extremely harsh conditions, having to walk long distances in all-weather to collect and drop-off recyclables.  Polyco’s care package includes a raincoat poncho, beanie and gloves to keep beneficiaries warm and dry during the current cold, wet winter months as well as a sling bag and soup and stock packs to provide hearty meals.

This initiative forms part of Polyco’s efforts to integrate waste reclaimers into the formal waste sector by including them in circular recycling economies in their communities. Through its flagship Packa-Ching programme, Polyco has invested in over 30 buy-back centres nationwide where they pay registered waste reclaimers for the plastics and other packaging material they collect and drop-off.

These payments are made in the form of instant voucher transfers to the reclaimers’ cellphones which they can either withdraw as cash or spend at a number of merchants including Shoprite, Checkers, uSave, Pick ‘n Pay, Clicks, Dischem stores. To date, Polyco’s Packa-Ching buy-back centres have paid over R20 million to waste reclaimers for more than 20 million kilograms of recyclable packaging they have collected.

Patricia Pillay, Chief Executive Officer of Polyco said: “Waste reclaimers play a crucial role when it comes to our goal of eliminating plastic waste in the country. However, they often receive very little support despite the enormous role they play in keeping their communities clean. Through initiatives like our Packa-Ching programme and Mandela Day handout, we aim to recognise and celebrate the immense contribution they make and help integrate them into the formal recycling economy.”

Polyco plans to invest in more buy-back centres across South Africa under its Pack-Ching initiative with two facilities opening this week in Brits in the North West province and in Reiger Park in Gauteng. It remains committed to continue working with waste reclaimers, government and the private sector to grow the recycling movement in South Africa so collectively we can put an end to plastic waste in the environment.