Petco Awards highlight recycling entrepreneurship

The awards recognised 10 winners across eight categories for contributions to recycling, waste recovery, environmental education and packaging innovation. A recurring theme was the ability to convert waste into economic and social value. 

Few examples illustrate this better than Entrepreneur of the Year winner Tumelo Morolo. In 2017, with just R300 and motivated by high unemployment levels in Orange Farm, Tumelo launched a small recycling operation. Less than a decade later, Morolo Recycling serves approximately 1 500 households from two collection sites and diverted 600 tons of recyclable material from landfill in 2025 alone. 

‘I realised we could build something big when I saw the demand for our services,’ says Tumelo. ‘Our first cash flow from sales finished in just one hour. People were lining up with bags. That’s when I knew that this isn’t trash – it’s money moving fast.’

The challenge, however, extended beyond collecting material. ‘The biggest challenge was changing how the community saw recycling,’ he explains. ‘Most people saw trash and looked down on us. I had to show them that recycling works for them. It keeps their streets clean and pays them cash. Once they got money in their hands, their mindset changed.’

His experience highlights the role participation and behaviour change play in South Africa’s recycling sector. 

That dynamic was evident across this year’s winners. The women-led Shomang Sebenzani Development Initiative in Alexandra, recognised as the Kerbside Collection and Sorting Superhero, services 1 800 households daily while reaching nearly 19 000 learners through school recycling programmes.

Environmental education winners Dada Waste Management and Indaloyami Trading have collectively engaged more than 60 000 people through awareness campaigns, school partnerships and community outreach initiatives. 

According to Petco CEO Telly Chauke, these examples show how circular economy principles are being applied in communities across the country. ‘What stands out most is that resourcefulness is happening at every level of the value chain. Many aren’t waiting for perfect conditions or large amounts of funding before taking action. They’re identifying challenges in their communities and finding practical ways to turn waste into opportunity,’ says Telly.

She believes the winners demonstrate that circular economy principles are delivering tangible outcomes. ‘Whether it’s creating jobs through collection, finding new uses for materials that would otherwise go to landfill, educating communities or building community-driven recycling initiatives, these winners show the circular economy is already taking shape across South Africa.’

While Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), recyclers and brand owners often dominate industry discussions, collection still happens largely at community level. ‘Policy, infrastructure and industry investment are all important, but the real collection happens in communities,’ Telly notes. ‘It’s driven by entrepreneurs, waste reclaimers, community organisations and small businesses that work every day to recover valuable materials and keep them in circulation.’