By Decide Nhendo
Useagain Recycling Private Limited, a plastic recycling company based in Masvingo operating at Masvingo Showgrounds is making strides in youth and women empowerment as well as keeping the environment clean.
Though the company is still struggling financially like many other organizations, it is managing to put food on the table for its 15 permanent workers, part-time as well as those who pick plastic and sell to the company.
Speaking to TellZim News the company’s managing director Godfrey Rugare said the company was employing more than 15 people apart from those who are hired on a part-time basis especially to gather raw materials which are waste plastic and sacks.
He said their company was empowering youths and women because the manual labor done while collecting plastic papers needs less power, and one will be paid money if they come with papers weighing from one kilogram going up.
“We are empowering women through our company because anyone needs only energy to walk around and find plastics that we will buy from them so women and youths are our main sources of the raw material.
“This way, they earn a few dollars and do not have to bother their husbands and parents for every little need. That also makes sure that youths are occupied and kept away from drugs” he said.
Rugare also said recycling plastic was important to the Masvingo community as it promotes cleaning of the environment from litter and if that continues, the President’s cleanup campaign will be done every day to keep surroundings clean.
The company produces 600kgs of plastic pellets per shift, and 1000kgs per day and is targeting to produce all plastic packing including bread paper, paper bags, bin liners, and many other packing materials.
Rugare however said, the company was still facing serious financial constraints as a lot of money is needed for the company to run on a daily basis, and said he was appealing for capital injection into the company to grow and keep it running.
“For our company to run we need a lot of money, I say a lot of money because we pay for plastics that women and youths gather on a daily basis, we also pay for other plastics we are supplied by Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle and those who clean these papers also need money.
“It is also expensive to have the business running because on a single day, we require nearly a hundred dollars for electricity alone before we talk of other expenses,” he said.
Rugare said they also needed their area of operation as renting was becoming expensive for them and it was difficult to expand as they wished as they are operating on rented premises.
“We also have a big challenge in terms of area of operation as we are renting this place where we are operating. So it is difficult to expand as we wish on a rented area and we have since approached council for help and I am sure they are looking into our plea because we are planning to bring in new equipment to increase production,” he said.
