IFAT 2022
27recyclinginternational.com | July/August | 2022
‘I am proud to say we have collected
almost 20 000 tonnes of plastic con-
tainers and bottles for recycling in a
year. That’s a big step up considering
we started at pretty much square one.’
The collected material is sent to local
cement factories. ‘You could say we
are trying to improve infrastructure in
two areas: sustainability and construc-
tion,’ Matokwani adds.
BIG SOCIAL IMPACT
Her organisation has created many
jobs over the last five years. Some are
waste pickers, others are sorters or
mentors who train newcomers and
speak at schools and companies
across the country. ‘Most are women,
young women especially,’ Matokwani
points out. ‘We teach them that waste
is a valuable resource; one that can
earn them a profit if their team can
jointly collect at least 30kg per day.
That’s all the incentive they need.
They want to be independent.’
The entrepreneur, who is a specialist
in toxicology, takes it a step further by
fighting not just plastic waste but illit-
eracy.
‘With my foundation, I want to
empower people. To equip them with
practical skills so they can find a
meaningful job. On day one they may
be a waste picker or sorter but who
knows what the future holds?’
She has also set up a special youth
group to help give youngsters a fresh
start. ‘I want to take them out of a
dangerous situation often marked by
domestic violence and substance
abuse – to give them hope. If you
want to make an impact in Africa, you
have to go beyond just cleaning up
the mess. You have to build a deep
connection, to include people in the
conversation.’
Benedicte Cockuyt, ceo of Hermion, says
the company has some ‘major’ projects in
the works. Besides plastics, the company
is now also focussing on battery recycling.
Finding a good solution for medical
waste has become much more of a prior-
ity for companies in the aftermath of the
pandemic, according to Julia Melchio of
Ecosteryl. The third generation family
company based in Wallonia, Belgium, has
a pyrolysis solution that can treat up to
300kg of contaminated materials per hour.
‘Now more than ever, we have come to
realise how precious life truly is,’ says
Laura Minotto of Italian shredder special-
ist Bano Recycling. ‘It’s a new chapter for
the world and for recyclers, too. I’m glad
to see that the confidence in the market
is growing again. Our order book reflects
this!’
Komptech was back at IFAT with great enthusiasm. The company has not just expanded
its portfolio with the arrival of four new machines, but also its team.
Liebherr’s
technical
engineer Hans
Jürgen Keller
was glad to
present the
company’s
latest mate-
rial handlers
and ‘powerful’
attachments.
His big smile
shows that it’s
been a busy
week for his
team.
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