Published: 2 hours ago

Recycling dairy packaging could create jobs, reduce imports, and protect the environment, provided collection volumes meet international thresholds, the Dairy Processors Association of Zimbabwe (DPAZ) has said.

Speaking at the launch of a dairy packaging recycling awareness campaign in Marondera on Tuesday, DPAZ Secretary General Tendai Marecha highlighted the economic potential of the initiative.

"Collecting dairy packaging waste is not just about cleaning the environment. It is a viable business model that provides income for many people and creates a new raw material stream for industry," Marecha said.

Currently, most used dairy cartons from Zimbabwe are sent to South Africa for processing. "If we want the recycled material, we have to buy it from them and import it back," she explained.

DPAZ, a nine-member body of milk and dairy product processors, signed an agreement with Tetra Pak South Africa in March 2024 to increase recycling. Under the agreement, Zimbabwe must collect 1,000 tons of packaging waste per month before a local processing plant can be established.

Marecha said that to date, the highest monthly collection has been about 130 tons. "Our aim now is to increase the volume of our collections to at least 1,000 tons per month by the end of next year, so that we can have our own factory established locally," she said, noting that materials such as cardboard, plastics, and aluminum sheets can be recovered from the cartons.

Households are being encouraged to separate cartons for waste pickers and bring them to buyback centres across the country, where packaging waste can be redeemed at about 8 cents per kilogram.

Rutanhi Beverages group projects manager Elvis Bika said the initiative benefits both consumers and the country. "As a country, this initiative adds value. This aligns with the President's first-day-of-the-month clean-up campaigns. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) can remain in the ground for up to 15 years. If we do not act now, it will have long-term effects on our environment," he said.

The awareness campaign, which began in Marondera, will continue in Mabvuku, Epworth, Chitungwiza, and Highfield until Friday.
- NewZiana