Petco has been on an exciting drive to empower waste pickers and SMMEs, and strengthen local recycling systems in all five local municipalities across the Zululand District of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

This programme – held in collaboration with the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (KZNEDTEA) – aims to build capacity, address municipal waste management challenges, and expand participation in the recycling economy across the district.

Following a successful launch in uPhongolo Local Municipality, the Petco team travelled to the KwaNongoma, Ulundi, AbaQulusi and eDumbe local municipalities in March.

At the KwaNongoma landfill site, a recycling workshop brought together waste pickers actively involved in waste recovery at the site, Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) beneficiaries, and municipal officials.

The workshop provided practical guidance on improving the recovery and sorting of recyclable materials, strengthening the role of landfill-based waste pickers within the recycling value chain, and highlighting opportunities for collectors to benefit from organised recycling programmes supported by Petco.

The third stop, in Ulundi, kicked off with a municipal engagement, where Petco met with local officials to discuss the current state of waste management, explore ways to increase recycling participation, and identify opportunities for collaboration to strengthen local waste recovery efforts.

Building on these discussions, Petco hosted a recycling workshop three days later, bringing together 49 participants, including landfill-based waste pickers, EPWP beneficiaries, and the officials. The session provided a space for sharing experiences from daily waste recovery activities and offered practical guidance on improving material separation, safer working practices, and the quality of recyclables collected.

Petco’s visit to AbaQulusi also began with a municipal engagement, unpacking key waste management challenges, including collection, landfill operations, and opportunities to strengthen recycling through closer collaboration with waste pickers and local recyclers.

This was followed by a workshop at Lakeside Community Hall in Vryheid, where 46 waste pickers from the landfill site, CBD and eMondlo area came together. The session focused on improving material recovery, strengthening participants’ role in the value chain, and encouraging safer, more organised practices on the ground.

The final stop took the team to eDumbe Local Municipality where a further 32 waste pickers, collectors and municipal officials, took part in a recycling workshop with a focus on improving sorting practices and reinforcing the role of waste pickers within the system. This was followed by a municipal engagement and site visits, where discussions centred on opportunities to collaborate in solving local waste management challenges.

By the end of the travelling programme, the district-wide drive had reached all five local municipalities and capacitated a total of 208 participants. More importantly, it created space for practical engagement, strengthened relationships between municipalities and grassroots collectors, and laid the groundwork for more inclusive and effective recycling systems.

The engagements underscored the critical role that landfill-based waste pickers and community-based collectors play in diverting valuable recyclables from disposal and improving site management, while supporting local livelihoods. By connecting municipalities with grassroots recyclers, Petco continues to contribute to more inclusive, effective recycling systems across the Zululand District.