Harry’s recycling facts
Did you know that South Africa ranks among the top six countries worldwide in terms of recycling rates for cans?
Statistics from Collect-A-Can, the company responsible for the collection of cans and tins for recycling in South Africa, show that from a recovery rate of just 18% in 1993, the current rate has increased to 72%, making South Africa a world-leader in steel beverage can recovery rates. The can is the most successfully recycled primary form of packaging in SA, as cans now contribute less than 1% of the litter.
“There are a number of benefits when recycling cans and that is why we encourage all South Africans to make the effort to recycle,” says Harry the Hominid, Maropeng’s mascot.
The benefits of recycling cans:
* Saving raw materials. Collect-a-Can has recovered more than 530 000 tons of steel and 400 000 tons of tin-bearing scrap, in the last 10 years.
* Reducing the need for landfills. The volume of all cans recovered during the last 10 years equals the volume of major landfill sites designed to accommodate all the rubbish of a major city, like Johannesburg, over a 15-year period.
* Job creation and poverty relief. The collection process provides a source of income for the unemployed and underemployed, who operate as collectors. About 80% of these people have no other formal means of employment.
So what can you do?
* Recycle both your beverage cans and food tins
* Encourage your friends to start recycling and teach your children the value of recycling from an early age.
* Start a collection point at a nearby church, school, community centre or somewhere central to your community.
