Recycling Has Never Been This Easy in South Africa

Woolworths and Engen offer convenient recycling facilities at Engen service stations

This female-run business in Malmesbury are turning recycled paper products into beautiful flowers and herbs, called Growing Paper.

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Woolworths and Engen have installed recycling facilities for paper, cardboard, glass and plastic at selected Engen service stations in the Western Cape as part of their commitment to reducing landfill waste and protecting the environment.

The trial is being conducted at eight sites, with a view to roll the recycling facilities out across the country.

The recycling pilot project is being run in partnership with Nampak, who will collect the waste as part of its existing recycling routes and distribution networks and ensure it is recycled.

Justin Smith, Woolworths Good Business Journey Manager says, “We know that, like us, our customers are concerned about the wellbeing of our planet and want to recycle their waste. We want to make it easier for them. For some, dropping recycling waste off at a local service station that they may visit anyway, will be a convenient solution.”

Pierr Roodt, National Marketing Manager, Retail, for Engen Petroleum says, “It makes perfect sense, with our footprint of conveniently located sites across the country, we can provide South Africans with an easy and convenient solution for their recycling. Our customers can now drop off their recycling either when refuelling or by making a quick stop at our sites en-route to work, home or dropping the children off at school.”

June Josephs-Langa, CEO of Indalo Yethu, the South African Government’s environmental campaign, says, “It is the small changes we make today which will have a major impact on the world we have tomorrow. We are excited to endorse this groundbreaking initiative from the private sector and look forward to the national rollout. Working together as South Africans to reduce the volume of waste that goes to landfill through recycling, we can restore the environment and tackle climate change bin by bin! I encourage others in the private sector to follow this sterling and practical step toward greater sustainability in their own operations.”

Barry Coetzee Head of Integrated Waste Management, Strategy & Policy for the City of Cape Town, says, “Managing our ever growing municipal land fill sites is a challenge we should all be concerned about. We believe this initiative has the potential to make a real difference in the medium to long term.”

Recycling tips:

Justin Smith reminds customers to follow these simple recycling guidelines to ensure their waste is disposed of appropriately:

• Rinse the glass, cans, and plastic containers before putting them into the recycling bins. This will ensure that your recyclables don't start to smell, and it decreases the contamination of the materials for recycling.

• Squash plastic, tins and boxes prior to putting them in the relevant bin. Squashing means that less space is taken up, and more material can be transported in one go, reducing transport costs and emissions.

• Choose products that are reusable rather than disposable.

• Choose products that have recyclable packaging rather than disposable packaging

Engen drop off points:

• Sunset Beach: Otto Du Plessis Drive | Sunset Beach

• Edgemead: 7 Edgemead Drive | Edgemead

• Welgemoed: Jip De Jager Drive | Welgemoed

• Tokai Service Station: 226 Main Road | Retreat

• Blackheath: Buttskop Road | Blackheath

• Motorport, Constantia: Constantia Village Shopping Centre |    Constantia Road

• Meadowridge, Bergvliet: 142 Ladies Mile Road |   Meadowridge

• Paradyskloof, Stellenbosch: Blaauwklippen Road |   Stellenbosch

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