In a bold step towards environmental education and community empowerment, Polyco, in partnership with the Western Cape Government and iThemba Phakama’s 4Ps model, is expanding the Schools-Based Recycling Programme (SBRP) to 13 new schools across the province in 2025.

This comes after successful pilots at Vergenoeg Primary and Yellowwood Primary last year (see picture here).

With over R380 000 invested per site, Polyco’s investment  includes infrastructure for school-based recycling  centres, recycling education and awareness for learners, and job creation for local community members.

The 13 new schools identified for 2025 are located in priority communities including  Retreat, Hanover Park, Gugulethu, Wesbank, Prince Albert (includes Leeu Gamka and Klaarstroom), Cravenby, Delft South, Mitchells Plain and Kuils River.

Each school’s recycling centre brings waste education to life, using visible tools like bins made from recycled materials to show how waste can be transformed into new products. Learners and teachers engage in hands-on recycling activities, while each school serves as a drop-off hub for the surrounding community, supported by the Packa-Ching model. This provides a much-needed valuable income stream for low- and no-fee schools through the collection and sale of recyclables.

Local community members will also be integrated into the system, creating jobs close to home and ensuring that valuable recyclable materials are diverted from landfills and waterways. By encouraging separation at source and increasing recyclable volumes, it helps lower waste management costs for schools and municipalities whilst reducing waste pollution – promoting both environmental awareness and economic empowerment.

“This programme is about giving waste value at the local level. It creates jobs for community collectors, brings recycling education to our learners, and turns schools into centres of opportunity,” said Patricia Pillay, CEO of Polyco PRO NPC. “Our investment means that youth not only learn about sustainability – they live it, and communities see real economic benefit.”

This aligns with the Western Cape Government’s Green Economy, WCED Reading and Growth for Jobs Strategies. “The SBRP represents a vital link between environmental education and socio-economic upliftment,” said Ronald Mukanya, Director: Sustainability at the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. “We are building knowledgeable future citizens who understand the value of preserving our natural environment through  recycling while creating real jobs through empowering local models like Packa-Ching, which includes local collectors in the solution.”

This programme is a powerful example of what’s possible when government, communities, and industry come together , not only to build sustainable and inclusive green economies, but to uplift lives, create hope, and empower youth with the knowledge and values they need to shape a more responsible, resilient, and environmentally conscious future.

About Polyco:

Polyco PRO NPC is a Producer Responsibility Organisation mandated to manage the extended producer responsibility obligations for plastic packaging. Through initiatives like Packa-Ching and the SBRP, Polyco works to grow recycling capacity, create jobs, and support environmental education across South Africa.