Our company was founded shortly after one of its cofounders attended COP17, where she learned about the obligations countries have regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation. She realized that rural communities, like the one we come from, lacked access to this critical information. Motivated by this, we decided to educate our community about recycling. In partnership with the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa, the Department of Environmental Affairs, and Umhlathuze Municipality, we conducted a four-day workshop that empowered 60 community members in Esikhawini, awarding them accredited certificates in paper recycling. This workshop was the first of its kind in the North Coast region.

Following the training, a noticeable gap emerged for a local recycling company. The area now had certified recyclers, but many were losing about 50% of their earnings from waste due to transport costs, as the available options were located in town. To address this, Africa’s Green Recycling was established as the first and only buyback center in this densely populated township. The company was cofounded by unemployed graduates and is 100% black female-owned, employing eight people.