Young recycler from Standerton urges youth to stop dependency syndrome

Jacky Jackson from Sakhile in Standerton, director of the Young Nature Minders recycling company, has encouraged young people to stand up and stop what she calls the “dependency syndrome” by creating opportunities for themselves.

Jackson said she started her recycling business in 2012 using only a wheelbarrow to collect waste from Standerton town and Sakhile. Despite the difficulties at the beginning, she managed to grow the initiative and later purchased startup machinery for the business.

“Though it was a tough journey to where I am now, perseverance played a major role in achieving my goals. Waste and I are friends. When I started, I saw waste as cash. I began collecting and sorting it to make money. Even though the money was not much, I used my wheelbarrow to take recyclables to major recyclers for cash. Whenever I received money, I started planning bigger things,” Jackson added.

Jackson said as the community began noticing that her recycling business was growing, young and older residents approached her asking if they could volunteer and assist with collecting waste. She agreed and said she shares a portion of the money earned from recycling with them after sales.

“Now we have about 30 volunteers collecting waste across areas of the Lekwa Municipality,” she said.

Jackson added that the company has agreements with local schools to collect their recyclable waste, while the municipality is also assisting with resources. She said they recently launched Operation Shanela in partnership with Lekwa Municipality, a programme aimed at cleaning recreational parks and fighting illegal dumping.

“This initiative will benefit us in the near future,” she said.

Jackson said her business could have grown even faster if it were not for a fire in 2023 that destroyed her property.

“The fire was caused by someone who passed by the site smoking and dropped a cigarette bud. The grass caught fire and destroyed everything because it was winter and the grass was very dry,” she explained.

Despite the setback, Jackson and her team refused to give up.

“What motivates me is the support I receive from the municipality, which provided me with a site. I am working on restoring electricity because the baling machines need power to function. There are obstacles, but I will overcome them,” she said.

Jackson urged young people to recognise their potential instead of focusing only on unemployment.

“Young people must stop complaining about unemployment and start focusing on what they can do to create opportunities for themselves and their communities,” she said.

She added that she is collaborating with young recyclers from other provinces, where they exchange ideas on how to grow the recycling sector while keeping the environment clean.

Jackson said her dream is to become a role model for the younger generation.

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