The Wildlands Conservation Trust of South Africa has created a Recycle for Life program that allows thousands of community members to collect recyclable waste and barter it to the Wildlands Trust for sustainable support. The program is a green economy initiative that promotes recycling, re-using and recovery of waste while creating jobs for under employed people in South Africa, giving opportunity for work to youth and women.

Waste collectors are linked with waste buyers interested in purchasing specific waste materials for their own re-use, such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, paper recycling, cardboard, plastics, and other recyclable materials. The Waste-preneurs collect and sort the waste, keeping the area clean and organized while also receiving an income from the buyers that can get use out of particular waste, in an effort to minimize the amount of waste going directly into landfills. This allows an abundance of recycled materials to be used more effectively. Some waste collectors receive goods or services in exchange for their efforts rather than pay, such as food and educational services.

Since 2010 the Waste-preneur program has grown immensely and this past year the Wildlands Trust has seen over 4,200 Waste-preneurs collect and trade 8.2 million kilograms of waste through their depots in exchange for livelihood support. The program currently incentivizes 86 schools and 71 businesses for recycling responsibly, and organizes clean up days on the national holiday, Mandela Day, and at different marathon races around the country.

Not only is this program providing a cleaner environment with increased well being for all, but it is also allowing people to sustain themselves better by creating a stronger sense of community that involves direct communication and exchange between groups for improved interconnectedness and quality of life. This program most noticeably works towards minimizing waste production with responsible consumption and production, while also working in line with many other SDGs such as reducing poverty and hunger through livelihood exchange, creating decent work opportunities and economic growth for many citizens, as well as educational opportunities for women and children; thus, improving the issue of inequality, while also helping to fight climate action, and create a better life on land. The best part of it all is that this program is completely replicable and easily scalable for any community to use in their own area. The only requirement for this program to be successful is participation and enthusiasm from the local community!

Alexa Bender

http://wildlands.co.za/project/recycling-for-life/

Recycling for Life – Wildlands. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2016, from http://wildlands.co.za/project/recycling-for- life/

Wildlands ‘Wastepreneurs” | Go Yonder. (2013, April 2). Retrieved May 22, 2016, from http://www.goyonder.co.za/galleries/photographs/