Mandatory recycling to be enforced in July
The Glass Recycling Company celebrates their 5th Annual Green Dialogues and announces new glass recycling statistics in South Africa.
The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) celebrated their 5th Annual Green Dialogues at the Houghton Golf Club on Wednesday, where they discussed the South African environment, how to make a difference and divert glass from a landfill.
On the agenda was also predictions on what mandatory recycling as of July 1, 2018, would mean to the City of Joburg and other municipalities.
TGRC believes that it is important to have a passion for our environment and to keep it clean for the next generation.
Speaking at TGRC’s 5th Annual Green Dialogues event, the CEO, Shabeer Jhetam, announced that the glass recycling rate had increased to 41.5 per cent in South Africa.
This new statistic demonstrates continuous growth in the waste that is successfully directed away from landfill sites.
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A little-known fact is that glass bottles and jars manufactured in South Africa contain arguably the highest percentage of recycled content of all the packaging materials produced in our country.
The 5th Annual Green Dialogues demonstrated the progress that has been made by consumers, recyclers, and TGRC to increase the recycling rate in our country.
South Africa has one of the most progressive and efficient returnable bottle systems in the world.
With this combination of highly effective reuse and recycling initiatives, it makes glass a sustainable packaging choice for many consumers.
Through the combination of increased recycling and SA’s efficient returnable system, the diversion of glass from landfill increased to 82 per cent.
This means approximately 10 billion glass bottles were removed from the waste stream.
This year’s TGRC event illustrated that unlocking the power of partnerships, education and engagement as enablers allows for the maximum impact.
During the course of the past year, TGRC trained and mentored 622 entrepreneurs, increased their focus on the hospitality industry with over 120 new businesses and 4 000 banks across the major metros initiating recycling programmes in their companies.
TGRC has also created opportunities for more than 50 000 individuals to earn a source of income through recycling since the not for profit’s inception.
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“We need to continue celebrating the role that glass plays in our everyday lives and ensure that enough attention is given to sustainable packaging for our environment.
“Every individual plays a role in making our oceans and environment cleaner.
“Recycling saves valuable materials from our waste stream to make new products.
“By working together, we can continue to grow the glass recycling rate as well as the rate at which glass is diverted from landfill,” said Shabeer.
Shabeer also mentioned the successes of their company would not be possible without the commitment of shareholders who package their goods in glass, the continued passion shown by schools, entrepreneurs, retailers and restaurants, as well as the never-ending passion of glass collectors.
“TGRC considers it a privilege to have the opportunity to support and grow this green culture and we remain convinced that the country’s success in terms of recycling will continue to grow,” he concluded.
Find tips and advice regarding recycling by visiting the TGRC website on www.tgrc.co.za.
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