Community turning bottle tops into mobility

A bottle cap recycling project in Centurion has made a significant impact on the lives of people with mobility challenges.

The initiative started a year ago as a competition between ward 69 and 70, but grew as various community members and organisations added their share.

The project drew the attention of the Lions of Centurion Lifestyle as it partnered with Clothes to Good.

Clothes to Good is a textile recycling and disability empowerment organisation.

“Clothes to Good collected plastic tops and contacted the Lions to fetch them to deliver to Cindy [Billson],” said Lions spokesperson, Chris Carstens.

Carstens said the bottle caps were then sold to local recycler Blue Swirl to raise a sustainable source of funds to buy mobility devices and wheelchair adjustments to donate.

He said this approach ensured the community effort came full circle – benefitting both the environment and those in need.

Portia Pilusa, a recipient of one such wheelchair, told Rekord that the initiative had come as a blessing.

“From where I was to where I am today, my life has improved so much.”

Pilusa is a former wheelchair tennis and basketball player, something she would like to get back into one day.

The Clothes to Good employee said a good mobility device can change someone’s life.

She said en route to her job interview from her home in Olievenhoutbosch, her wheelchair broke at the taxi rank.

“I called the local clinic, but they said they couldn’t help. I had to make a plan so that I could at least be able to move around.”

The support she needed came from the community initiative.

“The greatest help in terms of my mobility came from here,” said Pilusa.

She began working at the organisation in 2019, and says she has found a place she can call home.

“Here, I am confident, I’m proud of myself and the work I am doing.

“I’m proud that I can still show the world that whether you are disabled or not, there’s still a whole life waiting for you.”

Ward 69 councillor Cindy Billson said initiatives such as these can have a profound impact on life.

“Everyone can make a difference. From a small bottle cap, this small household waste item can create so much that can allow someone to have a full life.”

She said she had received countless donations that had filled her garage.

“It’s a simple bottle top that created mobility for Portia,” said Billson.

Clothes to Good played a crucial role in this transformative process.

Spokesperson Vanessa Mc Anda said the organisation sources clothes including from local schools, grades them, and either sells them or upcycles them for reuse.

“We sort the clothes into 28 categories.

A-grade category clothes are in good condition and B-grade needs washing or minor repairs like stitching. In the last category we put clothes we can’t use at all but rather take them to be recycled for use in car seats, dashboards or matrasses.”

The children who donate clothes receive incentives, encouraging community engagement and environmental consciousness.

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