Nature reserve bins are hyena-proof

One of South Africa’s leading tourist destinations is piloting new bins for collecting waste – and preventing wild animals from dining on the rubbish.

Staff at the Kruger National Park hope their recycling project will divert tonnes of waste from landfill and incorporate it into the country’s circular economy. 

Operators SANParks and producer responsibility organisation Petco are implementing an animal-proof, three-bin recycling system at the popular Tshokwane picnic site near Skukuza, in the southern Marula region of the park.

Tamper-proof

Petco partnered with manufacturer Pioneer Plastics to refine an existing baboon-proof bin system that would withstand the demanding conditions in the park. The 240-litre wheelie bins are housed in tamper-proof casings and securely mounted on concrete slabs.

Pioneer Plastics marketing director Gary Wiid adds: ‘These are designed to withstand the strength and persistence of large scavengers like hyenas and honey badgers that roam the unfenced picnic sites at night.’

Colour-coded

Over the New Year festive season, more than 43 000 food and beverage items were sold at the Tshokwane site and more than half a tonne of recyclable product packaging was recovered using the new bin system.

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.

Petco ceo Telly Chauke says: ‘South Africa has put a legislative framework in place to ensure that producers take responsibility for their packaging material, even after their product leaves a consumer’s hands. So, our role is to ensure that the packaging our members, who include some of the country’s major retailers and brand owners, have placed on the market is collected for recycling.’

The project is set to be rolled out to another site at Nkuhlu, overlooking the Sabie River, and one at Afsaal further south towards the Malelane gate.