Helping drive these positive changes is the country’s longest-standing producer responsibility organisation, Petco, which was established in 2004 with the aim of ensuring post-consumer packaging is recycled and kept out of landfills and the environment.
In 2024, Petco’s work on behalf of its members – brand owners, retailers and packaging importers – equated to over 76,000 cubic metres of landfill space saved, which is equivalent to 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools. One of Petco’s unique partnerships to help drive recycling at schools and in neighbourhoods involves the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO). ARO’s objectives include advocating for the recognition and inclusion of reclaimers as essential contributors to South Africa’s recycling economy. By supporting fair working conditions, ARO aims to provide reclaimers with access to vital resources, promoting their integration into the formal waste value chain and improving their livelihoods, dignity, and economic prospects. Together, the organisations celebrated two key projects in Johannesburg, which demonstrate a growing appetite by the public to recycle more – Craighall Primary School and the Bordeaux South Residents’ Association. 
A recent video taken at Craighall Primary shows how programmes – run by ARO with recycling equipment support from Petco – include educating pupils about how to separate their recyclable materials from their general waste at home. According to the organisations, an interesting consequence of the campaign is that the pupils are, in turn, putting pressure on their parents to do the same.
“Educating our youth into a more sustainable mindset is really impactful because they haven’t yet developed the bad habits of adulthood, and they have the power to influence recycling behaviours in their own homes and families,” said Petco CEO Telly Chauke.
“On the collections side of things, informal waste reclaimers play a really important role, so Petco is pleased to be working with organisations like ARO to legitimise their efforts and make this work more effective.”
In neighbourhoods like Bordeaux, the organisations have been involved in a years-long education drive to impart to residents the importance of separating their recyclable materials from their general waste and leaving them out on collection days for reclaimers to gather.
“We started working with the ARO in 2019, following Petco’s donation of recycling bins. We saw a need to acknowledge the work that the reclaimers were doing [by collecting recyclable materials and keeping them from ending up in landfills],” said Angela Schaerer, a Bordeaux South resident who helped foster the working relationship between the homeowners in the neighbourhood and the reclaimers with the ARO. The programme has received Petco’s Recycling Partnership Gamechanger accolade. According to Petco CEO Telly Chauke, the partnership with ARO extended beyond recycling and helped “drive changes in waste management, economic empowerment and community transformation”.
“With a focus on providing support such as equipment sponsorship and capacity building, this partnership helps create income opportunities, boost economic inclusion, and significantly increases waste diversion from landfills,” Chauke said.
Petco’s support for ARO over the past three years includes donating 600 recycling bins, recycling bin signage, bulk recycling collection bags, recycling informational brochures, an identification card printer, mobile airtime and data, as well as branded jackets and T-shirts. ARO spokesman Luyanda Hlatshwayo said that reclaimers “play a vital yet often overlooked role in recycling”. “Building a circular, inclusive system requires collaboration among reclaimers, residents, companies, industry organisations such as Petco, and government,” Hlatshwayo said. “Communities and residents are encouraged to get to know the reclaimers’ operation in their neighbourhoods, support their efforts, and foster mutual respect. Including reclaimers in waste strategies not only boosts recycling rates but also promotes social and environmental justice.”
