The founder of Purpose Recycling (PR) and its employees were left devastated after a catastrophic fire broke out at the company’s facility in Ext 5, Eldorado Park, on July 28.

The blaze caused extensive damage, destroying recyclable material and equipment valued at more than R100 000, dealing a significant blow to the business.

According to the project manager and director of PR, Shannon Shaun Boer, the recycling facility and storage area were destroyed, leaving the organisation without a place to sort or store recyclables.

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He said the fire destroyed all the trolleys used for collections, collection bags and recyclable materials, including approximately two tonnes of HDPE plastic, two tonnes of PET plastic, 1.5 tonnes of white paper, four tonnes of common paper, three tonnes of cardboard, 400kg of Tetra Pak and one tonne of polypropylene.

Boer said the fire is suspected to have been deliberately started.

He explained that despite the setback, the team is determined to continue serving the community.

“Our biggest challenge now is keeping the work going because the collections don’t stop. We still have schools waiting for us, but we literally have to start from scratch.

“The guys are upset, but we agreed that no matter who is responsible, we will let the law deal with it. We’re not giving up because we believe the work we do changes lives,” said Boer.

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He also pointed out that the organisation is requesting temporary quarters, resources, and assistance to keep the project going while it rebuilds.

Founder Audrey Caster said what worries her most is not the damage to the facility, but the people who rely on the project.

“As most of our team members come from substance abuse backgrounds and this project offered them hope and purpose, my biggest worry is that if they do not receive a salary, they may fall back into what they once had.

“I will be able to survive on my pension, but these guys have a family to raise. We are a family here, and I am not going to let them down,” Caster noted.

She explained that the long-term vision was to create a bigger buy-back centre that would provide employment opportunities for more people, which she will definitely continue to pursue even after the fire.

Robert Kgwalipe, a regular client of JRRH Recycling, said the destruction of Purpose Recycling has also affected other companies that rely on It for recyclables.

“I had ordered the materials from them and had only received some of it, with the rest of it getting destroyed before I managed to collect it. This has affected both our companies because I still require that material for us to operate. We need to sit down and see how we can move forward,” he said.

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Shantan Jacobs, site manager at the JRRH Recycling site, said witnessing the destruction of the recycling plant was heartbreaking.

“I felt devastated seeing everything burn down, but I thought of how God had brought me here. Even if we need to use trolleys to collect, we will continue. Right now our problem is bags, but we believe that the community will come up with something for us,” Jacobs explained.

The organisation is appealing to the community, local businesses and potential sponsors for support to help sustain its recycling programme.

Assistance in the form of temporary premises, trolleys, collection bags or any other resources that would enable the programme to continue would be greatly appreciated.
To assist, contact Boer on 062 543 9458.