Recycling pilot project aims to cut waste at SA’s top national park
AUTHORITIES at the Kruger National Park hope a recycling pilot project will divert tonnes of waste from landfill and instead recycle it for the country’s circular economy.
The pilot project, which is a collaborative effort between SANParks and producer responsibility organisation Petco, sees a new animal-proof, three-bin recycling system being implemented at the popular Tshokwane picnic site near Skukuza.
In December, over 43 000 food and beverage items were sold at the Tshokwane site, and more than half a tonne of recyclable packaging was recovered using the new bin system.
With day visitors accounting for 70% of the Kruger Park’s gate traffic and making use of at least one picnic spot, these sites are a hotspot for improving waste management, says SANParks’ general manager for sustainable development and management, Dr Danny Govender.
The bins are colour-coded and labelled for ease of use – green for recyclable packaging, grey for non-recyclable waste, and brown for compostable materials such as food waste. With the park’s waste currently manually separated at 10 waste sites, Govender says recyclables were spoilt, recovery was inefficient, and opportunities to compost materials were lost. “Strong separation-at-source partnerships with organisations like Petco are key in ensuring that these valuable resources are circulated back into the economy,” she notes.
Petco CEO Telly Chauke adds: “If we can get the public to help separate waste at source, and keep compostables and nonrecyclables out of the recycling stream, then recyclables will be uncontaminated, they have a higher value for collectors and recyclers, and can be turned into something new and useful.”
“South Africa’s legislative framework ensures that producers take responsibility for their packaging material, even after their product leaves consumers’ hands. Our role is to ensure that the packaging our members produce are collected for recycling. “That’s why sponsoring waste separation and recycling equipment in high-traffic public spaces is such a priority for Petco,” she explains.
To put the wheels in motion, Petco reached out to manufacturer Pioneer Plastics about refining an existing baboon-proof bin system that would withstand the demanding conditions in the park.
Pioneer Plastics’ marketing director Gary Wiid says the large 240-litre wheelie bins were housed in tamperproof casings and securely mounted on concrete slabs. “These are designed to withstand the strength and persistence of large scavengers that roam unfenced picnic sites at night.” He added that the housing is fabricated from LLDPE plastic to provide UV and impact resistance, dimensional stability in heat, and long-term durability for outdoor use.
Tourvest regional operations manager Henry Daschner says the organisation’s been one of SANParks’ concession partners for 25 years, ensuring that all commercial activities are managed to align with conservation priorities. “Recycling and waste-management initiatives are central to this,” he notes.
The project is set to be rolled out to a second Tourvest-operated site at Nkuhlu, overlooking the Sabie River, and a third site at Afsaal, operated by Tindlovu, further south towards the Malelane gate.
