Lakhishwa Holdings leads Kathorus recycling efforts while fighting unemployment

Lakhishwa Holdings in Mapleton, north of Kathorus, is a township waste recycling company that aims to keep the environment clean and tackle youth unemployment.

Its CEO, Sifiso Mchunu, told the Kathorus Mail in an interview that he established the company after noticing that waste and unemployment drastically affected Ekurhuleni residents.

“As the population in our area grows, waste becomes a huge problem, so I decided to establish the company and, at the same time, try to combat youth employment in local communities.

“We employ eight people, and most were previously young and unemployed people. When the company expands, we hope to employ more young people, get them off the streets and eradicate unemployment among the local youth,” explained Mchunu.

He added that the waste they recycle is collected daily from local households.

“By collecting recyclable waste material, we also help the community to fight against environmental pollution and littering. Our community also benefits from our recycling facility because most of the waste material is turned into valuable material which the community can use as recycled household goods and material,” Mnchunu said.

He said they collect various recyclable materials from the community brought to their facility for sorting and recycling.

“We collect common waste, which we usually get from households. We collect different plastic materials, paper, aluminium, sub-grade steel, glasses and other recyclable materials. Household waste is generated daily, so that’s why we focus on it,” Mchunu stated.

He said his former company inspired him because it needed waste management.

“There are great opportunities in collecting waste because many people do not venture into that sector while there’s a demand for it.

“Some products made from recyclable material are our clothes, furniture and other products we use daily. If you check, most of our clothes say they are made from 100% polyester and polyester is surely plastic,” Mchunu explained.

He said they opened the company to enhance what recyclers already did.

“When they bring that recyclable material to our facility, we will pay more,” Mchunu stated.

An employee of Lakhiwsha, 22-year-old Lungile Kongisa, said he was happy to have a job at the company after struggling to find one in the mainstream job market.

“Here, I have learnt a lot about recycling, especially the different materials we have at our disposal at our depot, which can be recycled and turned into valuable household materials that we can re-sell back to the public.

“Recycling has interesting stages, from collecting waste material, compacting it, and putting it in a machine and selling it,” concluded Kongisa.