Business24.05.2010

Woolworths, Engen, Nampak announce successful trial of recycling pilot

Last October, Woolworths, along with partners Engen and Nampak launched trial recycling facilities at eight Engen service stations in the greater Cape Town region. The pilot offered Western Cape residents a facility to drop off their glass, paper, plastic and cardboard for recycling while filling up their vehicles or shopping at selected Woolworths Foodstops and Engen convenience shops.

Nampak doubled its collection from popular sites such as Welgemoed and Meadowridge soon after the trial began and increased its collection frequency from most of the sites.

Justin Smith, Manager of Woolworths Good business journey says the success of this pilot is a win for both the Western Cape and South Africa. “Woolworths is delighted that the public have partnered with us to make this trial a success. The message from the residents of the Western Cape is clear – they want to recycle and are looking for convenient recycling solutions.”

“Our projections show that we will be collecting about 140 tons of recycling per year from the first eight sites alone. We’re now planning to install recycling facilities at an additional fifty Engen sites nationally over the next six months.” continues Smith.

Says Pierr Roodt, Engen Retail Marketing Manager: “We are excited to be the first South African oil company to become involved in a recycling project of this nature and we would like to thank our customers for embracing and supporting our endeavour to reduce their carbon footprint in South Africa. We are privileged to partner with Nampak and Woolworths who both share our commitment to preserving the planet.”

Where to find the recycling bins

The recycling facilities are being piloted at the following Engen and Woolworths foodstops in the Western Cape: Welgemoed, Meadowrigde, Sunset Beach, Edgemead, Tokai, Blackheath, Constantia and Stellenbosch. Nampak collects the waste as part of its existing recycling routes and distribution networks and ensures it is recycled.

Recycling tips Justin Smith, manager for Woolworths Good business journey, 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. In this way 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.

Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter