Members from Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), Tembisa entrepreneurs and school pupils from various schools came together to clean up the area.
The cleaning campaign commenced with the handing over of the new Team Square Environment Buy Back Centre at Teanong section.
Visitors and locals walked around Tembisa collecting recyclable materials and cleaning the streets in the area. The recyclable material was taken to the Buyback Centre.
Corporate Affairs Director of ABI, Tshidi Ramogase, said they have set out to clean various communities around Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal as part of the organisation’s Recycling Month’s activities.
“The project aims to educate children in local schools about the importance of recycling by motivating pupils and teachers to recycle. Through the programme, schools can plan for various development projects, and set a target to collect enough recyclable material to meet these targets. We’ve been on the ground in the community all week long with the aim of leading by example,” she said.
Ramogase added that this will culminate in an awards ceremony to be held on November 19, where schools, pupils and teachers will be honoured for their participation in cleaning the environment through recycling.
ABI identified the need for community-based project monitors, who would inspire the schools in the area to keep up their work.
To this end, ABI has employed 17 youngsters in the community to manage the recycling process within the schools and to encourage pupils to press on and recycle.
These youngsters are trained in the recycling industry, given measurement tools to monitor the progress of the schools and must compile weekly reports that track the collection performance of each community.
“We are excited that our programme is growing, through the introduction of youth empowerment through employment. ABI’s focus is community developmentand we would like to roll this out to more communities as the campaign expands. Poverty and unemployment rates are high in South Africa, with many families wondering where their next meal will come from. With this in mind, ABI has identified high poverty areas and has begun the process of encouraging community members to collect recyclable material in exchange for money. Individuals are being empowered to earn an income, while keeping their communities clean,” she explained.
ABI provides these entrepreneurs with basic business skills training as well as the correct safety equipment and uniforms.
“We are overwhelmed by the support of the local community for the project. Let us continue to keep South Africa clean, one bottle at a time,” she concluded.
