Recycling project produces school shoes for disadvantaged children
JOBURG – Milpark Hospital and four others recycle old IV drip bags and tubing to create the soles of school shoes.
A recycling project started with Netcare and Adcock Ingram has turned into a partnership with the City of Johannesburg to create functional new products.
The project uses non-hazardous intravenous infusion (IV) drip bags and tubing made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to recycle into soles of school shoes. The project, which was started a year ago, saw about 1 000 school shoes being donated to schoolchildren in Zandspruit on 29 January.
The project, which was rolled out in Milpark Hospital in Parktown, among others, aims to ensure that there are more sustainable solutions created for the benefit of the city and its citizens.
“This fantastic initiative is aligned with the A Re Sebetseng mayoral project, a clean-up campaign encouraging all citizens to take pride in their environment, community, and the city,” said the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba.
“I am a strong believer in public and private partnership. We, as government, have no chance of doing it on our own so it’s incredibly exciting to be part of this project that is built on a joint effort between a pharmaceutical company, a private healthcare provider group and local government, to benefit impoverished children. This is the way of the future.”
Colin Sheen, the managing director of Adcock Ingram Critical Care, said that this project is an example of what can be achieved when private and public sectors work together to benefit the environment and communities.
“Netcare is delighted to be a part of this worthy initiative, which not only speaks to our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint but also to our spirit of investing in the communities where we operate,” said Richard Friedland, CEO of Netcare.
Conveniently located blue-coloured bins were set up specifically for the purpose of segregating uncontaminated used PVC drip bags, nurses were trained, and the PVC waste material was collected by recyclers who then sold it to a company that uses this highest grade and quality PVC plastic to make soles for shoes.
“We are especially grateful to our Mayor, councillor Herman Mashaba, the City of Johannesburg, and Anna Lebethe, principal of Masakhane-Tswelopele Primary School, for giving us the opportunity to do something positive and meaningful for some of our most vulnerable young residents,” said Sheen.
“We aim to encourage more hospitals to recycle PVC, given the benefits that come with it, including generating more employment from recycling drives.”
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