15 August was a memorable day for Petco as we invited some of our Gauteng members to join us on site visits to two local businesses in the collection and recycling value chain – a buy-back centre and a bottle-to-fibre reprocessor – that we’ve previously supported with equipment and training. Accompanying us on the day were member representatives from BEVCO, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, Tiger Brands, Suntory, Mpact, ALPLA, and Unilever.

These annual member engagement outings provide an ideal opportunity for our members to gain first-hand experiences of on-ground operations and meet the people who are building the collection and recycling value chain. They also give our members an opportunity to see how their EPR fees are utilised, and the kind of support and guidance Petco offers to these businesses.

Our first stop was at Johannesburg East-based TK Recycling, which is a buy-back centre owned and run by husband-and-wife team Mary and Ernest Maphula. In a bid to help unemployed members of her community generate some form of income, Mary launched the business in 2018.

During our visit, Mary and Ernest took us on a guided tour of their business and shared some of the operational challenges they have faced and how their business has grown with Petco’s support.

After recognising TK Recycling’s potential as a committed buy-back centre, we sponsored them with a 6m trailer, an H15 baler, branded signage, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Mary and Ernest expressed their gratitude for this support, sharing that it has helped them increase their collection volumes and make a significant contribution to sustaining the value chain.

On our second stop, we visited one of Johannesburg’s leading regenerated fibre manufacturers specialising in bottle-to-fibre reprocessing – Da Run Fa Chemical Fibre, which is also situated in Alberton.

For Petco and members this was an educational visit as CEO Chris Tennant took us on a tour of the site, guiding us through the process of bottle-to-fibre reprocessing, and showing us some of the end products that can be made from recycled PET packaging, such as pillows, car mats, and clothing.

He also praised Petco for supporting the company in the past with training sessions, adding that the upskilling of employees has delivered a notable increase in productivity.

On the whole, for Petco and our members it was a rewarding day, and we’re already planning the next site visits for November this year –this time in Cape Town.

These in-person outings are the best way to show our members the real-world impact of the work we do. They also give the enterprises that we support the chance to showcase their successes and talk about their operational challenges.

In addition, the site visits provide an opportunity for members to engage directly with these businesses about how to modify their packaging design to add value to the recycling value chain.

Members are able to see how Petco continuously builds working relationships, facilitates change and creates ongoing sustainable solutions to those working on the ground through the various means of support.