ISOW - Beyond the Bin: A Collective Effort to Unlock the Value of Waste in Thulamahashe

Waste that once threatened the cleanliness of Thulamahashe and its tourism potential could now become a source of income for its residents.

The community is taking an important step towards a cleaner environment and a more inclusive local economy with the launch of the Innovative Solutions for Waste (ISOW) project and its newly established Waste Beneficiation Centre at the New Regional Landfill Site and a Waste Separation at Source in Thulamahashe, Section B. The initiative aims to divert recyclable materials from landfill, create economic opportunities and strengthen waste management practices at community level.

Led by Plastics SA, with support from Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa programme, the project brings together Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM), Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), local businesses, traditional leadership and community members to turn a persistent environmental challenge into an opportunity for change.

The recycling component has now launched, with further landfill-site activities to follow.

From waste challenge to economic opportunity

Thulamahashe’s waste-management challenges have implications beyond the immediate environment. Cleaner surroundings matter to residents, local businesses and the tourism sector, which is an important part of the area’s economy. By recovering and redirecting recyclable materials into productive use, ISOW seeks to create value from waste while helping to reduce the amount reaching landfill.

The project’s establishment followed extensive groundwork, including baseline and feasibility studies conducted by Moss Group, multiple site visits and consultations with the PROs, and engagements with the municipality and the Amashangane Traditional Council, on whose land the site is located. Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C) also played an important role in connecting the project with relevant stakeholders.

Project Manager Samuel Kumbula reflected on the journey leading to the launch:
“This has been a journey from the initiation of the baseline and feasibility studies carried out through the Moss Group. Many site visits to the area, accompanied by the various PROs who have given advisory, contributions and inputs into ensuring that the project materialises. Meetings and agreements with the local municipality and traditional authorities … Crucial staff appointments from local candidates who know the lay of the land and understand the challenge of waste in the community. All of this have led to now the opening of the Waste Beneficiation Centre.”

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Plastics SA and Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, endorsed by the participating PROs including Petco, Polyco, Metpac, Fibre Circle, eWASA and The Glass Recycling Co. (TGRC). formalises the collaboration and provides a foundation for securing further funding. Commitments from the PROs, alongside assets valued at approximately R2 million, will support the centre’s operations. Careful consideration has also gone into the equipment required and the distances involved in collecting recyclable materials to ensure that the investment meets the community’s needs.

A community-led approach to waste management

At the heart of ISOW is the participation of the people who live and work in Thulamahashe. The project targets 1,049 households in Section B, with a focus on improving waste collection, encouraging separation at source and building lasting community support for recycling.

Local Waste Ambassadors have been conducting door-to-door engagements to raise awareness and help households understand how to separate recyclable materials. Collection will be coordinated around a separate day from the municipality’s regular waste collection schedule, helping to establish a practical system that residents can follow.

The project has also invested in local capacity. Fifteen waste reclaimers have received accredited training through Plastics SA, equipping them with skills relevant to waste recovery and recycling.

A local waste operator will manage the Waste Beneficiation Centre, collect sorted materials, distribute ISOW-branded bags and coordinate the buying and selling of recyclables. The operator will also receive mentorship on running a buy-back centre, creating an opportunity for a local small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) to participate directly in the recycling value chain.

For Mr. Levy Mokoena, BLM’s Waste and Environment Manager, the initiative offers benefits to both the municipality and the community. “It’s important for waste not to land at the landfill. This is a benefit for the municipality; integrated waste plans and how it fits in for all stakeholders. ISOW will assist in alleviating Municipal waste collection challenges and benefit the community of Thulamahashe while creating livelihoods. Ensuring we utilise resources available that drive sustainability.”

By strengthening the separation and recovery of recyclable materials, the project aims to complement municipal waste management efforts while creating opportunities for income generation and local enterprise development.

Taking waste education into schools

Changing waste management practices requires more than infrastructure. It also depends on awareness, education and consistent participation.

Through ISOW, Plastics SA has provided accredited training for key stakeholders, while Plastics SA and Petco have worked with educators at four schools in the community. PRO partners sponsored bins to support waste separation at school level. The schools programme, led by the Waste Ambassadors, has helped extend the initiative’s reach to learners.

The early response has been encouraging. The principal of Eric Nxumalo High School welcomed the changes: “Our school is now much cleaner, please keep supporting us. The initiative is working. The learners, the SGB, everyone is happy. We appreciate the awareness and education. The learners are sensitised to waste management activities.”
These efforts demonstrate how practical waste-management interventions can be reinforced through education, helping young people develop habits that can extend from the classroom into their homes and communities.

Industry partnerships that make change possible

The project’s progress reflects a shared commitment from industry partners to strengthen recycling systems and support the recovery of valuable materials.

Metpac SA reaffirmed its commitment to building successful value chains and supporting waste reclaimers. Petco commended the Plastics SA team and Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, emphasising the importance of support beyond equipment to achieve greater impact. Polyco also pledged continued investment and support, highlighting the connection between a cleaner environment, improved livelihoods and the potential to build on the initiative’s achievements. Fibre Circle announced its sponsorship of a forklift, together with training in its operation. The support will strengthen the centre’s operational capacity while contributing to efforts to divert recoverable materials from landfill and return them to paper mills. EPR Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA) expressed interest in exploring opportunities in electronic waste as they arise, pointing to the potential to expand the range of materials recovered through the project.

Together, these commitments demonstrate how Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) can help connect the resources and expertise of industry with local waste-management needs. They also show the importance of collaboration between municipalities, businesses, donors and traditional leadership in developing solutions that can work on the ground.

Building a model for sustainable change

For Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics SA, ISOW represents an opportunity to change how communities view waste and its potential value. “ISOW will shift mindsets to create benefit for the community. Thank you to GIZ, who is implementing WE4D on behalf of the European Union and the German Government, for supporting this project. To the PROs, we can’t do this without your support. Think of all the types of waste that need to come out of the environment.”

Gavin Watson, Team Leader for WE4D, GIZ, highlighted the commitment of the people behind the initiative and the opportunity it presents for the green economy. “We support impact to the Green Economy in communities. It’s incredible to see passionate and committed people willing to tackle difficult challenges. This is a celebration of the culmination of years of work. Seize the opportunity and turn this project into a success.”

Bushbuckridge Local Municipality also welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to learn new approaches to waste management, strengthen local systems and support sustainable jobs and SMMEs. The Amashangane Traditional Council underscored the importance of community benefit, noting the relationship between cleanliness, reduced crime and the protection of tourism as a vital part of the local economy.

The launch marks an important milestone, but the longer-term impact of ISOW will depend on continued collaboration, consistent participation by households, effective operation of the centre and the development of viable markets for recovered materials.

For Thulamahashe, the ambition is clear: less waste polluting the environment, more materials returning to productive use, and more opportunities for local people to participate in the green economy.

By turning waste into a resource, ISOW is laying the groundwork for a cleaner community and a more inclusive approach to economic development.

About ISOW: The Innovative Solutions for Waste (ISOW) Project is a collaboration between major role players in South Africa’s recycling industry including – Plastics SA, Petco, Polyco, Metpac, Fibre Circle, eWASA and The Glass Recycling Co. (TGRC). The project is in collaboration with the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM) and the Amashangane Traditional Council; implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit through the Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa – WE4D Programme on behalf of the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Contact Details:
Keamogetsoe Mlangeni
@email