News and updates
From the ground to the top through waste
From working on the ground with street cleaning to owning her own waste management company, Nokuthula’s story is inspirational. Dobsonville local, Nokuthula Tshabalala, began her journey in the waste sector in 2015 after working for Pikitup and eventually went on to own her own company which collects and resells recyclables, effectively diverting them from landfill […]
Zithande Mzansi Programme kicks off in Mpumalanga
Fibre Circle kicked off its Zithande Mzansi Programme at the 8th instalment of the World Environmental Day Summit held in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga on 14 June. The summit saw Fibre Circle in collaboration with the Mkhondo Municipality roll out the implementation of new infrastructure to support recycling in the community and the school environment. 30 […]
From Journo to Circular Economy Advocate
When I received a call from Edith Leeuta the CEO of Fibre Circle informing me that I was successful in my application to be the Content Development Officer for the scheme, I was both excited and anxious. Excited by the direction my career is taking and the meaningful contribution I believe I will make to […]
Tembisa waste entrepreneur urges youth to see waste as an opportunity.
The waste sector has capacity to solve the ever-increasing unemployment rate, especially among the youth of the country. This is the view of our youth month feature in the waste sector, owner of Greener Pastures Thabiso Hlongwane who runs buy-back centres and monthly clean-ups in Tembisa and Alexandra which predominantly have had waste issues. Greener […]
April 2023 webinar recording and presentation
Fibre Circle hosted a webinar to unpack some of the common queries from our members relating to extended producer responsibility. Please find the link to the recording of the webinar below:
Four reasons to start recycling this Earth Day
JOHANNESBURG – APRIL 20, 2023 – Recycling is one of the easiest ways that citizens can ‘Invest in our Planet’, the theme of this year’s global Earth Day, 22 April. Unfortunately, research by the CSIR indicates that only around 10% of urban households actually do so. “Finding a reason to recycle is perhaps the first […]
From cartons in the kitchen to desks in a classroom
Recycling gets schooled with Nampak Liquid Cartons’ donation of desks made from PolyAlu A well-timed contribution to Global Recycling Day played out on Thursday, 16 March, when Nampak Liquid Cartons (NLC) donated 50 upcycled desks to Actonville Primary School in Benoni. What is special about these new items of classroom furniture is that a high […]
Fibre Circle activates marathon clean-up
All sporting events need an army of supporters to keep participants fed, watered and safe from start to finish. This includes cleaning up afterwards. Recently, Fibre Circle, a local recycling company, and a large team of volunteers helped to reduce the amount of race waste going to landfill by collecting and sorting thousands of paper […]
New study on impacts of EU packaging regulation shows a blanket approach on re-use may have unintended consequences: higher CO2 emissions & costs
Brussels, 6 April 2023 According to a press release issued by Cepi, a new in-depth study, merging data from various sources, finds that imposing strict reusable packaging targets by 2030 will severely impact the EU’s climate footprint, as well as consumers’ budgets. This is on the back of the European Union looking to adopt the […]
Wise up on paper recycling, from the bathroom to the kitchen sink
JOHANNESBURG – March 16, 2023 – Think before you throw. According to available statistics, South Africans generate roughly 122 million tonnes of waste a year, with a mere 10% recycled or recovered for other uses. Ninety percent is landfilled, dumped illegally or lost to the environment. “That’s around two tonnes of waste per person per […]
Keep these 10 recyclables aside for recycling collectors
JOHANNESBURG – November 24, 2022 – The informal recycling sector has experienced significant growth over the years, after all waste is not waste if it has value. “With recyclables, the value is in the material that can be sold for re-use,” says Edith Leeuta, CEO of Fibre Circle, the producer responsibility organisation for the South […]
Fibre Circle partners with Trash4Treats initiative for a “school’s out” paper collection campaign
JOHANNESBURG – NOVEMBER 30, 2022 – Fibre Circle, the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) charged with improving paper collection and recycling in South Africa, has partnered with Trash4Treats, an incentive-based school recycling initiative, to reward schools and learners that collect at least two tonnes of used office paper, worksheets and school books before “school’s out”. As […]