The Vaalpark Separation at Source project focuses on collecting recyclable materials from households around the Vaalpark residential area. Approximately 3000 households have received wheelie bins, which will be used to store all the recyclables.

The Ikageng Ditamating Co-operative has been tasked with the responsibility to collect the recyclables from households every Thursday of the week. The co-operative members will sort materials at their operational site and bale before they sell to the recyclers. This 22 members co-operative is officially the implementer of the separation at source project in Vaalpark. The co-operative comprises of waste pickers that were previously working on the Vaalpark landfill site. 

The Vaalpark recycling project has been made possible through the contributions of many sponsors and role-players including the Recovery Action Group (RAG) Members; Collect-a-Can, the Glass Recycling Company, Plastics|SA, Tetra Pak, Polyco, PRASA, PETCO and the Polysterene Packaging Council. 

This project is the first recyclables collection for recycling project in which all the spheres of government are involved. According to the Member of the Mayoral Committee of Metsimaholo Local Municipality Councillor Mrs Khabonina Makhoba, “this is the beginning of an initiative that the whole of Vaalpark has been waiting for. It is through this project that more local residents will wake up to the significance of recycling for both the local economy and the environment.”

For more information or to see ‘The Story of PET Bottle Collection’ which gives a face to the collection industry and shows how collection of plastic cooldrink bottles for recycling is changing the lives of many see www.petco.co.za
or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE0HFXiNpYs