Second mobile recycling station rolls into Eastern Cape

Residents can bring their recyclables to the mobile station and a monetary value of the weighed items will be loaded into their e-wallet.

CAPE TOWN, March 26 (ANA) – One of South Africa’s biggest retailers and a recycling organisation have once again partnered to launch the second mobile buy-back vehicle in the Eastern Cape.

Shoprite and Polyco have launched the Packa-Ching in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) after its successful programme in East London.

The Packa-Ching is an entrepreneur-focused approach and consists of a truck and trailer, so it can regularly visit numerous communities within the area.

This programme is seen as a win-win for residents, the retailer and the environment.

According to Shoprite, residents can bring their recyclables to the mobile station on collection day, material will be weighed and a monetary value of the items will be loaded into the residents’ e-wallet.

This means community members can spend their money at any Shoprite, Usave or Checkers supermarket.

Shoprite said this programme will also create employment opportunities for the youth, not only those who collect recyclable materials.

One of those benefiting from this programme is Thembekile Havi, a reformed gang member who has found employment at the Packa-Ching unit in Buffalo City.

In 2016, Havi started collecting recyclable bottles and selling them to collectors. When he saw the benefits of this, he recruited his friends. In 2019, Havi was introduced to Packa-Ching.

He said now that he knows what recyclable materials are, and since joining Packa-Ching, he has started educating his community and urging them to do the same.

Packa-Ching vehicles can also be found in Cape Town, Thabazimbi, Katlehong and Mpilenhle.

Shoprite’s sustainability manager, Sanjeev Raghubir, said the retailer has already seen the positive impact the programme has had on local communities for both those generating an income and those employed by it.

“We’re confident that this new unit in Gqeberha will increase our reach and impact even further by promoting recycling and removing waste from our communities,” Raghubir added.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher