Remade Recycling, formerly known as Southern Cape Recycling, is our now famous ‘blue bag’ collectors and bales 780 tons of recyclable goods every month. This saves the municipality labour and many trips to the final landfill site at Petro SA near Mossel Bay.
The blue bag system has created 22 extra jobs at the company that employs almost 70 people in total.
Managing director Cedric Hercules says every individual and company has a social responsibility to recycle waste. "The government wants each municipality to recycle at least 15% of its waste. Black bag removal costs the municipality R675 per ton, not to mention the detrimental effect on the environment."
Hercules says officials at the George municipality realise the importance of recycling and that’s why it is sustainable in George. "In many towns in the Southern Cape it simply does not come off the ground as officials just maintain the status quo. Public awareness is very important as we are the last generation that can make an environmental difference. If we don’t, it will be too late."
According to Hercules people putting wet and other waste into the blue bags create a huge problem. "It hikes expenses and contaminates otherwise usable recyclable goods. A used nappy is not recyclable, yet we daily find these in the blue bags."
At the moment the company has to get rid of almost a ton of waste a day - all from blue bags.
The next municipal accounts will again contain information on exactly what can be recycled and what to keep out of the blue bags and put in the trash. Containers and bottles that go into the blue bags should be rinsed to prevent organic matter entering the recycle chain.
The content of the blue bags is baled at the Remade recycling plant near Rosemoor. The goods are sorted and the same materials are baled together. These bales are trucked all over the country to huge manu-facturers like Sappi, Nampac and Atlantic Plastics, whereas skips full of bottles go to Consul Glass.
Hercules says to be in the recycling game you have to be passionate about preserving the environment. "There is no gold in recycling. Before we start making money we have to get 30 tons of product on a truck. Prices constantly fluctuate and labour and transportation costs are very high."
Although recycling in South Africa is still in its infancy, Hercules says their are positive steps being made in the right direction. "The new extended producer responsibility bill will hold manufacturers and dealers responsible for recycling if their products are hazardous. It is known as ‘cradle to grave’ responsibility. Business needn’t be afraid of this as it’s cheaper to use recycled components compared to virgin material."
Article and photos: Ilse Schoonraad
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The different bales destined to be recycled.
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