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Collect-a-Can is a recovery as opposed to a profit driven company and has proven that it is self-sustainable, by managing its operations and cost structures at optimum levels – assuring the respective southern African governments, environmentalists and the public of Collect-a-Can’s long-term stability. The Company was established in 1993 to pro-actively addresses the steel beverage can industry's beverage can industry's share of responsibility pertaining to the ever increasing environmental needs of the region. Collect-a-Can is dedicated to ensure that used cans and consequently tinplate, exist in harmony with the environment. The Company is unique in as much that southern Africa is the only region in the world where the producers of material for steel cans and the can manufacturer have come together to lead and inspire the recovery of used cans. We are since involved in the recovery of all scrap tinplate generated in the tinplate and can-making processes, including sludge, cut-offs (skeletons), misprints, sub-standard fills, and most importantly the recovery of used cans. All recovered scrap and used cans are either processed to add value (de-tinning and briquetting) or prepared and sold for recycling, resulting in a complete loop, called “cradle-to-cradle”.
Core Business The core business of the company is to facilitate the recovery of used beverage cans, although we also recovers aerosol, aluminium, food, oil and paint cans, thereby addressing the “cradle-to-cradle” needs of the steel beverage can industry. To date Collect-a-Can has used the recovery rate for beverage cans only as the mearurement barometer for the collection rate for all steel cans for recycling in southern Africa. This recovery rate is assumed to be understated when all used matal cans are taken into consideration. The recovery rate for used cans for southern Africa has grown significantly from a modest 18% in 1993 of all used cans sold in southern Africa to an all time high of 72% in 2008, dropping slightly to 69% in 2009 because of the economic meltdown.
Collect-a-Can is committed to maintain or improve on the southern African recovery rate of 69%:
Modus Operandi Collect-a-Can pays “cash for cans” and provides tens of thousands of Southern Africans with the opportunity to earn a living, most of whom are unemployed. In many cases, collectors form their own collection networks and deliver their cans directly to one of the company’s branches for which they are paid. Collectors without transport link up with individual entrepreneurs or any of the agents, and in these instances receive a lower payment for cans as the entrepreneurs who have to cover their transport and vehicle maintenance costs, as well as running their respective businesses at a profit. On receipt, cans are crushed into bales at Collect-a-Can’s various branches which are dispatched to steel mills where they are melted to produce steel. Steel beverage cans are 100% recyclable and can be recycled over and over without degradation.
Collect-a-Can's Role in Controlling Waste Approximately 48 million people in South Africa generate an estimated 50 million cubic metres of waste per annum. This does not include the huge amounts from mining, agriculture and forestry, or hazardous waste which goes to special landfills. When Collect-a-Can began, there was no unified policy on the growth of waste. The public was skeptical and automatically opposed to new waste site proposals. Since then, government has given much thought to regulations for waste and environmental control. The founding principles of Collect-a-Can neatly complement these:
Awareness Despite the adverse economic conditions, Collect-a-Can has grown in credibility and respect, among all sectors of the population, as a sustainable one-way packaging recycler in southern Africa. In the last few years, the steel beverage can’s share of total litter has declined from 8% to less than 1%! Collect-a-Can’s high recovery rate puts southern Africa in the world’s top recognised steel can recyclers (and makes Collect-a-Can one of the most successful operation of its kind in the world). Owing to different ways of stating recoveries, South Africa’s position could be even higher. Research done in 2005 found that 70% of adults interviewed know of Collect-a-Can’s activities.
Partnerships Collect-a-Can has environmental responsibility partnerships with various stakeholders such as South Africa’s Department of Environment, local government municipalities, the recycling industry, manufactures, fillers and distributers of can packaged products within the can packaging value chain. Corporate social investment projects include projects such as the environmental education and awareness programs and development legacy projects, enterprise development support and job creation and poverty alleviation projects, and general public education projects to promote environmental responsibility amongst the citizens of South Africa. Collect-a-Can promotes social responsibility in a country striving for a better life for all:
Corporate Membership
Other Recycling Companies
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