Recycling waste and promoting a clean sustainable environment helps put food on the table for unemployed residents in the metro.
Making use of buyback centres scattered across East London they can collect cardboard, bottles, and cans, which earn them money.
Recycler Nozibele Gugile of Scenery Park says she has collected cardboard, cans, and bottles for the past four years. She drops them off at Southernwood’s buyback centre to make extra cash.
“I alter clothes in Southernwood and in my spare time, I recycle. I do this because I am able to get money from it which assists with my needs,” she said.
Gugile said she gained an interest in recycling because it is evident that where she picks up waste it becomes clean.
Land of the Living NPO and 2023 Local Hero winners aim to create sustainable development and employment opportunities for youth. They have a training programme, HOPE network of community leaders, and Unantoni Endlini Recycling plant, operations.
Its executive director Scott Worley said they believed waste management is one of the most pressing issues in the world.
“The world has really struggled with effective solutions to this. We also believe that with environment conservation and waste management, youth can develop livelihoods,” he said.
Worley said through this they can help keep their communities clean.
“The reason we do what we do is ultimately to empower unemployed youth to become entrepreneurs who affect their communities economically and socially.
“I believe that the environment in waste management can be a platform for transforming society,” he said.
DispatchLIVE
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