Trash4Treats And MetPac-SA Collect Metal Packaging As Part Of Exciting Inter-schools Project
Trash4Treats And MetPac-SA Collect Metal Packaging As Part Of Exciting Inter-schools Project. MetPac-SA, the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) that represents the metal packaging recycling industry in South Africa, has once again partnered with [dot]GOOD, South Africa’s leading cause-marketing agency, to expand its Trash4Treats competition to thirty under-resourced schools in the Western Cape. By collecting as much recyclable packaging as possible, these schools put themselves in line to win their share of R50 000.00 which can be used for much-needed school upgrades.
“This inter-schools competition was launched for the first time in 2019 and encourages primary school children, but also their parents, educators, and the surrounding communities to recognise that waste has value. They get to experience the principles of a circular economy in a practical and immediate way, while post-consumer packaging that might have ended up in landfill or the environment, now generates much-needed funds for the schools,” explains Kishan Singh, CEO of MetPac-SA.
The [dot]GOOD team launched this year’s competition at the beginning of the second school term by distributing leaflets and garbage bags to thirty schools in regions like Phillipi, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Heideveld, Nyanga and Mitchell’s Plain. They also reminded learners of the specialmetal collection challenge which was sponsored by Metpac-SA. During the next few months, these schools will be encouraged to collect as much metal packaging as possible, including aluminium cooldrink cans, tin food cans, coffee and baby formula cans, paint cannisters and even foil food trays.
“Our awareness campaign started with a fun-filled, in-person activation day during which the Trash4Treats team of educators and our mascot, called Trashy, visited the schools. We explained to the pupils that waste has value and the importance of recycling. In addition, each school also received large, branded collection bins to aid in their ongoing collection efforts,” says Shilpa Rama-Madhav, Senior Account Manager at [dot]GOOD.
As part of the campaign, Trash4Treats also connects the participating schools with local waste collectors who buy back the collected materials at the going rate, thereby helping to form a mutually beneficial and sustainable relationship between the school and the waste entrepreneur that benefits the whole community.
