WATCH: Young recycler creates jobs and inspires green living
Art enthusiast Minenhle Simelane crochets recycled plastic into mats, a skill that he learnt at the feet of his grandmother.
SEEING people littering plastic bags in their yards, on the side of the roads and other public places every day is what inspired Minenhle Simelane to start his own business to protect the environment by reducing plastic waste pollution in Umlazi Township and surrounding areas.
Simelane, 24, makes mats out of plastic waste dumped in the township using his own hands and then sells them. The art enthusiast Simelane says he learnt the skill of making plastic mats from his grandmother when she told him stories as a child.
ALSO read: Caring for the environment is everybody’s responsibility
He started his business called Umlazi Art and Recycling in 2023 and he has orders even from as far afield as the Free State. Simelane said his dream was to inspire communities to take full responsibility for protecting townships from plastic waste pollution.
@caxtonlocalmedia ♻️ Turning Trash into Treasure! 🛍️✨ Meet Minenhle Simelane, a young entrepreneur from Umlazi transforming plastic waste into stunning handmade mats! 🌍💚 Not only is he cleaning up the environment, but he’s also creating jobs and inspiring change! 🙌🏾🔥 Would you buy one of these recycled plastic mats? 🤔👇🏾 #EcoWarrior #RecyclingMatters #Umlazi #Sustainability #SupportLocal #MinenhleSimelane #Upcycling ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia
He says: “Our townships are heavily polluted by plastic waste. Whenever people are using plastics the only thing they do is to dump them, not knowing that there are many more things you can make out of plastic waste than just polluting townships.”
Simelane revealed that he recently employed three full-time workers, aiming to address the high unemployment rate in Umlazi and South Africa as a whole. He also received funding and business mentorship from South Africa’s major mobile telecommunications provider, MTN Group. To reach out to this art enthusiast, you can search his name Minenhle Simelane on social media.
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