KNP aims at 100% recycling

Ever wondered what you do with the waste and rubbish created by more than a million visitors per year? This tricky question is one asked by many cities accross the world. But now... How to handle the same amount of waste in a place like the Kruger National Park where logistics and layout is a major part of everyday life?

There is no rubbish dump or place to "drop" the waste created by the more than 1 000 000 visitors that visit the park anually.

Due to a wonderfull effort by leaders in the plastic industry, a new plastic recycling machine was doated to the Kruger National Park Waste Disposal units to assist in the recycling of plastics in the park.

Petco, Buyisa-e-Bag and the Plastics Federation of South Africa clubbed together and donated the impressive machine with the aim of “protecting our national heritage”. “We don’t see plastic bottles as merely rubbish,” says Mr Syd Carter from Petco, “but as a valuable resource that can be recycled into carpet fibres, synthetics and other commercially viable products.”

Mr Hennie Neetling from Buyisa-e-Bag explained further: “The problem with recycling is that you need mass, not volume. Recycle plants pay very little for a truck load of plastic bottles if they are just dumped into the load area of the vehicle and driven to the plant. However, with a bailing machine, you are able to compress at least six huge Hessian bags full of plastic into one compact bail which certainly does have a significant value.”