Recent efforts to collect bottled water for drought-stricken Cape Town residents have resulted in a surplus of plastic that now needs to be recycled.
Combining this need with that of job creation, Flight Centre Foundation has launched a recycling initiative which will see three cyclists recruited and provided bicycles with containers to cycle around specific Cape Town areas and collect empty water bottles for recycling.
“People wanting to recycle their plastic water bottles can get in touch with our recyclers via WhatsApp in the areas of Milnerton, Milnerton Ridge, Table View, West Beach, Edgemead, Bothasig, Plattekloof, Sandrift and Century City. A second phase in the project will see Goodwood, Rondebosch and Pinelands added as pick-up points,” explains Diane Cleary, Project Manager Flight Centre Foundation.
The cyclists come from Joe Slovo Park and can collect 30 x 5l bottles each, which can be increased to 50 if the bottles are flattened to remove the air from them. “If someone has several hundred bottles for collection, they can still contact us via WhatsApp and we will send our truck and trailer out with a team to collect the bottles,” says Cleary. “Most people contact us without 30 bottles.”
Once collected, Flight Centre Foundation takes the bottles to a recycling depot in Epping. “We are also looking into donating bottles to the Owl Sanctuary which makes owl and bat houses and bee hives,” concludes Cleary.
For more information about Flight Centre Foundation, visit http://fcfoundation.org.za/