On 18 July every year, we commemorate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. For individuals, communities, and organisations the day is marked by a global call to action to change our world for the better in ways that would’ve made Tata Madiba proud.

This year, Petco had a very busy Mandela Day as our Johannesburg and Cape Town teams set off to create awareness around recycling and responsible waste management.

Judging by the enthusiasm from the communities we visited, it was a highly rewarding experience for us, and a day truly well spent.

Incorporating circular economy principles into early education is a vital step in teaching learners about the value of sustainability and setting them on a path to becoming responsible citizens.

In view of this, Petco’s Cape Town team seized the opportunity when the City of Cape Town’s Solid Waste Management Department and the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure invited them to join an awareness event at Malibu High School in Blue Downs.

With the City of Cape Town’s mascot, Bingo the Bin, adding fun to the learners’ experience, their education and awareness team gave a presentation on the waste management services the city offers, and explained the ways in which learners can minimise waste at their school and in their communities.

Then it was Petco’s turn to explain the different materials used for the production of PET plastic packaging and liquid board packaging (LBP) and why they have value. Part of our focus was on the steps learners should take to dispose of these types of packaging responsibly, thereby contributing to a healthier environment and the circular economy.

While Petco’s Cape Town team spent some quality time with the learners of Malibu High, our Johannesburg team also had an eventful Mandela Day on their visit to the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.

The event, which was organised by Petco and Mogwase Recycling, included a 67-minute clean-up honouring Madiba’s 67 years of public service. This was followed by a workshop focusing on how to dispose of recyclable PET plastic packaging and LBP, and the next steps taken with these types of packaging after disposal.

Rounding off the day, we were invited to hold an exhibition for the community of Poortjie in Gauteng. With over 90 people attending, we honed in on the importance of recycling against the backdrop of our role as a leading producer responsibility organisation (PRO). We also highlighted economic opportunities that exist for the unemployed to start collecting recyclable materials.

On the whole, for Petco’s Cape Town and Jozi teams it was indeed a productive Mandela Day, and it is our hope that in this journey towards greater circularity we made a lasting impact on the communities we visited. Let’s also not forget all the individuals and organisations that helped make this day such a success. A big thank you needs to go to them!