Keeping the township of Missionvale clean comes as a bonus to residents. Their plastic, tin and paper waste can now put food on their tables.
With World Environment Day being commemorated recently, Missionvale residents who gather recycling materials, consider themselves as environmental stewards. Missionvale Care Centre, the NPO which is situated in the heart of Missionvale, established a recycling unit last year where residents can exchange their waste for MCC bucks, which enable them to buy food, toiletries or clothing at the centre.
The recycling unit operates twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and offers employment to two permanent staff and six volunteers.
Volunteers are paid a monthly stipend and MCC bucks in exchange for their time.
Winston January, who volunteers at the recycling unit, said he heard about the recycling unit when he was collecting a food parcel from the centre. “I spoke to Uncle Frank (Frank Goliath, recycling employee), who told me about the work they do and that is how I got to volunteer here. The recycling job made a difference in my life because I was unemployed and unable to feed my family. Now I earn a small income and vouchers which I can exchange for food or clothes,” January said.
A community member, Nontombi Mfundisi, said, “We are able to keep our environment clean by doing this work.”
Her sentiment was shared by Nozitha Moses, who regularly brings waste in exchange for MCC bucks.
“We are unemployed, and we bring waste here to get something to eat for our kids. At least we are able to buy food and toiletries with the MCC bucks which we get for our waste,” Moses said.
The recycling unit is a necessary addition to the services that are offered by the Missionvale Care Centre, as it introduces environmental awareness to the Missionvale community.
During the first six weeks of the programme, the unit held a six-week education session to explain the process of the programme and emphasise the necessity of recycling.
“Community members collect the waste in the neighbourhood and bring it to the centre in return for MCC bucks. CTC Waste Management and Waste Trade Company collect the waste and pay us per kilo of the waste commodities,” said José Weijers, who heads up the recycling unit.
