In February, Petco participated in a recycling workshop in Kimberley, Northern Cape, to educate and empower current and aspiring collectors to start their own businesses and introduce them to the support that Petco offers.

Part of our objective was to recognise the work of waste pickers, especially those working at the local landfill site, while also strengthening their role in environmental sustainability through accelerating skills development.

With Petco’s regional recycling officer, Lehlogonolo Mohale, attending, the event was initiated by the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform (DAERL), while the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and Sol Plaatje Local Municipality were also represented.

The workshop beneficiaries came away with valuable insights into launching and growing a collection business, the value of sorting post-consumer recyclable packaging, and the processes and economic opportunities surrounding the recycling sector.

With 41 waste pickers and buy-back centre representatives present, the event also helped connect collectors with potential buyers, and highlighted the training and equipment support Petco offers to assist existing collectors to improve their practices and earnings.

These educational workshops are a great example of the public-private partnerships we are building with the local provincial and national government to foster sustainable waste management in South Africa. By delivering comprehensive and useful information, and by promoting more structured collaboration, Petco aims to assist participants to make a greater impact within the collection and recycling value chain.

Workshops are one more way Petco is taking proactive steps to advance the formal integration of waste pickers as fundamental contributors to sustainability and our economy.