Plastics recycling organisation Polyco has given 320 recycling bins made from 8 t of recycled plastic to 80 schools as part of its Million Plus campaign, aimed at mobilising more than one-million South Africans to commit to recycling their plastic packaging and keep it out of the environment and landfill. 

To support the use of these bins at schools, Polyco is collaborating with retailer Pick n Pay’s School Club to distribute important educational material that will help teachers and learners understand how to recycle plastic packaging and the importance of keeping recyclables out of the environment and landfill. 

Each school will receive two double recycling bins, or four in total. One bin is for plastic recycling and the other bin for other recyclables. 

“To reinforce the message that used plastic packaging has value, all recycling bins distributed as part of this school’s campaign were made from recycled plastic,” says Polyco CEO Patricia Pillay. 

“A total of 8 t of recycled plastic was used by MyWaste to make the 320 bins. All production offcuts were recycled back into planks and poles, with no waste coming from the manufacturing process for these bins,” she adds. 

Bins are clearly labelled with signs indicating what recyclable material needs to go in each. The signs on the recycling bins were made using toothpaste tubes, which are considered difficult to recycle. More than 213 000 tubes were recycled for use in these labels. 

“One of our project partners, Infinite Industries has found innovative solutions to recycle and repurpose materials such as toothpaste tubes. With this initiative, we managed to divert all these tubes that might have otherwise landed up at landfill and put them towards a better purpose,” says Pillay.

Using the 213 333 toothpaste tubes, a total of 640 recycling sign boards were manufactured, amounting to 1 280 kg of recycled plastic waste being used in total for the signs. 

“By taking this approach of using recycled plastic to make bins and toothpaste tubes for signage, we are showing school learners the value of recycling. By recycling plastic waste, we are contributing to the circular economy. Recycled plastic re-enters the product value-chain to go towards the production of new products, keeping it out of the environment,” Pillay highlights. 

Further, the Pick n Pay School Club played a central role in the roll out of Polyco’s Million Plus school’s recycling education over the years.  

To date, Polyco and Pick n Pay have distributed recycling educational posters and worksheets to 2 375 primary schools across the country and reached more than two-million children and educators through the Million Plus schools recycling initiative. 

“The Million Plus recycling education in schools has proven to be a big success so far. Children take important messages about recycling learned at school home to their families and the greater community,” says Pillay. 

Anyone can join the Million Plus campaign by signing up as a recycling revolutionary and committing to recycling all plastic packaging after use.  

“If every person that recycles encourages just one more person to start recycling, the commitment to recycling in South Africa will spread from a small minority of people to mass action and a cleaner environment for all. Recycling is something that every person can do to make a positive impact on the earth,” she emphasises.