In celebration of Global Recycling Day on 18 March, Polyco in collaboration with Pick ‘n Pay, launched a series of reverse vending machines for customers to deposit their recyclable materials while doing their shopping.

The reverse vending machines will be located at select Pick ‘n Pay outlets across the country. Customers can trade their recyclable waste for vouchers, which they can spend at Pick ‘n Pay stores and other partner retailers.

The reverse vending machine project is one of a number of collaborations with Pick ‘n Pay under Polyco’s Million Plus campaign. Another highly successful collaboration is Polyco’s partnership with the Pick ‘n Pay School Club where over 2.6-million learners and 140 000 educators at 2 500 schools across the country have been provided with educational material on plastics recycling and the positive impact that recycling has on the environment.

‘Through partnerships such as this fantastic collaboration with Pick ‘n Pay, Polyco is helping to create a circular economy, which turns plastic waste into a valuable commodity – a win-win for recyclers and the environment,’ stated Patricia Pillay, CEO of Polyco.

Steffen Burrows, group sustainability manager of the Pick ‘n Pay group also welcomed the launch: ‘The reverse vending machine roll-out at select stores across South Africa is part of Pick ‘n Pay’s mission to make recycling more accessible and rewarding for our customers. Recycling remains top of our sustainability agenda with us well on track to meet our target of ensuring that 100% of our private label packaging is re-usable or recyclable by 2025.’

Global Recycling Day is celebrated around the world to highlight the important role recycling plays in securing the future of our planet. This year’s theme of #RecyclingHeroes fits neatly with Polyco’s goal of creating a plastic recycling movement in South Africa. Its Million Plus public awareness campaign is focused on getting more people to become recycling heroes in their communities.

Since its establishment in 2011, Polyco’s partnerships and programmes have added over 300 000 tons of additional capacity in the recycling sector.

Most notably, Polyco’s Packa-Ching programme, which delivers separation-at-source recycling infrastructure to informal areas and pays community members for the recyclable packaging material they drop-off, has had a major positive impact in under-resourced communities. With 24 Packa-Ching centres nationwide, the programme is on track to have achieved a 20-million kilogram collection and recycling milestone by the end of March, with over R20-million paid to community members (turn to page 12 for details about the latest launches in East London).

‘Polyco is on a mission to increase public awareness about the importance of recycling and to make recycling an easy and attractive option for all citizens. In partnership with government and the private sector, we’ll continue growing the recycling movement so that recycling becomes a priority every day of the year,’ said Patricia.