Strandfontein Beach clean-up: Polyoak Packaging leads the way

Polyoak Packaging held its 11th annual national clean-up on Saturday September 20 at Strandfontein Pavilion, joining volunteers worldwide in support of International Coastal Clean-Up Week.

Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO’s) such as Polyco and PETCO joined forces with 450 Polyoak employees and their families to collect as many littered items as possible on the beach.

Items ranged from beverage bottles, such as alcoholic glass bottles, PET water bottles, and bottle caps, to name a few. Plastics SA, which represents all sectors in the plastic industry, positively contributed to the awareness of environmental pollution on the day with a reminder about the importance of recycling week.

Clean C representatives ensured that each person scoured the beach with gloves and rubbish bags, adding to the total collectible national waste of 3.8 tonnes.

Last year's campaign totalled 3 tonnes of litter. Education around waste pollution is still critical in many communities.

A small effort at home to separate general waste from recyclables can make a positive difference to the circular economy.

These recycling initiatives are causes so close to home as Polyoak is synonymous with manufacturing sustainable rigid plastic packaging. Its offerings include fully recyclable packaging solutions in industries such as food and beverage, industrial packaging, and home and personal care products.

This annual national campaign encourages staff members to actively clean their communities, where the focus is also on nature reserves, parks, and industrial areas to help keep the environment clean.

Polyoak aims to grow this initiative from strengthto strength across South Africa.