Speaking of women in leadership, Petco had the privilege of welcoming Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts to our exhibition stand at a recent E-Waste Recycling Imbizo, led by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal.

At our stand, the Deputy Minister took to social media to highlight the importance of giving PET plastic bottles a second life through recycling.

Using a relatable example, she reminded viewers that plastic bottles can be transformed into a wide range of new products and packaging, including synthetic hair extensions. It's a simple but powerful illustration of how recycling creates new value from materials that might otherwise be discarded, ending up in the environment or landfill.

Click here to watch the reel.

The message is important: Recycling doesn't end with waste diversion. It supports local manufacturing, strengthens recycling value chains, creates livelihoods and keeps valuable materials in circulation for as long as possible at their highest possible value.

Petco also attended another imbizo in Empangeni, which brought together residents, municipal officials, industry stakeholders, PROs and waste pickers to raise awareness about responsible waste management, the importance of proper e-waste disposal, and the role everyone can play in reducing waste and keeping valuable packaging materials in circulation.

Visitors to Petco’s stand enjoyed an interactive demonstration of the journey from waste to resource, seeing how  PET bottles and liquid board packaging are recycled and transformed into new products. Our goal as always was to inspire more households to separate their recyclables at source and participate in local recycling initiatives.

As a producer responsibility organisation, Petco partners with all three spheres of government on policy development and events such as these, because real progress towards a circular economy happens through collaboration, education and community action.