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Petco backs South Africa's plastic recycling programmes

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Petco is a recycling company that represents the South African polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic industry's joint effort to self-regulate post-consumer PET recycling in order to minimise its impact on the environment.Petco's specific objective is to improve the management and recycling of PET products such as used plastic bottles. Despite the 93 235 tonnes of post-consumer PET bottles recycled in 2017, Petco has described it as one of the most challenging years for the company.The pressure the company faced was due to a South African economy that was performing below its potential and strikes that caused local supply disruption. Despite the challenges, Petco recycled a record 65% of post-consumer bottles and even broke its record of total tonnage collected in a month in November 2017 with a total exceeding 8 900 tonnes.96% of all the bottles that were collected were reprocessed into new end-use products such as food-grade packaging and geotextiles, while 4% were exported.

Petco gets involved in conservation efforts

Additionally, Petco helped to solve the challenge of marine waste by organizing the first African Marine Network conference last year, and was also responsible for creating 64 000 income opportunities for small and micro-collectors.Petco welcomes the 2016 environmental legislation that calls for industry waste management plans because it will enable them to specify enforcement mechanisms to ensure that converters, brand owners, retailers, municipalities and other stakeholders comply with recycling programmes.

Petco revises its waste management plan

Petco's waste management plan also includes creating better products, reducing the reliance on the extraction of virgin materials and supporting efforts to fight climate change. These industry waste management plans, overall, will improve the recycling economy, create better recycling programmes, benefit the environment and create more jobs.South Africa's PET recycling rate is remarkably resilient and able to grow, despite tough trading conditions due to the fact that Petco's focus since its establishment has always been on supporting and growing local mineral extraction and processing of post-consumer PET. As a result, Petco is well positioned to facilitate the collection and recycling of over 100 000 tonnes of post-consumer PET bottles in 2018.It is evident that plastic waste poses a serious threat to land and marine life. Researchers estimate that around 100 000 marine animals are killed every year from consuming plastic waste. Everyone has a responsibility to cut down on plastic waste and the easiest place to start is to refuse plastic straws and grocery bags.___Averda is a leading waste management provider with over 50 years of experience across three continents. Through growth, transformation and engagement, we strive to find new ways of managing waste while protecting the community and environment.___By pairing international expertise with local insights, we have secured our position as one of South Africa’s most respected providers of waste management and industrial cleaning services. We also operate in the recycling, pipe inspection, CCTV, infrastructure inspection, hydro-demolition, high-pressure water jetting and catalyst handling industries.___Follow us Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the best tips on recycling and the latest industry news. See our Instagram and YouTube channels for more insights into environmental affairs and our work with local communities.