Co-op recyles waste material

by six couples, makes floor polish and hats out of soft drink and beer cans. They also make animal sculptures out of scrap metal.
The co-operative has attracted the attention of the Environmental Management Agency. It is also exhibiting its products in the EMA stand at the ongoing Zimbabwe Agricultural Show. In an interview yesterday, group spokesperson Ms Nancy Muzah said they have been in the business for the past two years and have since co-opted a number young people.
“The core of the group is made up of 12 people though we work with other young people who collect scrap metal and tins for us. We also collect plastic that is melted to produce floor polish and pelts for sale at plastic manufacturing companies. The product is quite popular with women as it has also a version for polishing tiles.
“We are now running short of cans and plastic in the area that we are appealing for organisations to provide cages for people to deposit these cans so that we do not have to go and pick them at shopping centres,” she said.
The group is exhibiting alongside other groups that are also collecting garbage for recycling. An EMA official said they were promoting community projects in waste management to ensure that people value the usefulness of the garbage being disposed everywhere in the city.
“Waste is becoming a problem for the country’s city and it is imperative that we start encouraging communities to take over the initiative of safe disposal and recyling of domestic waste.
“Communities should be able to sort out their waste accordingly so that those that decay are used as organic manure while the plastic and tin cans are recycled,” the official said.