Venue: ACT 105 Rainham Road, Phoenix
Date: 27 September 2025
MetPac-SA, in association with Phoenix for the Planet, held a community clean-up. The main purpose of the clean-up was to raise awareness about the importance of proper waste management and recycling practices while promoting environmental sustainability and community engagement. The clean-up was attended by MetPac-SA, Safe Cities, Fibre Circle, members of the ACT Church, and other community members.
The event generated significant interest among community members who were keen to learn about waste management and recycling solutions. Against the backdrop of growing concerns about waste management and its impact on the environment, the clean-up served as a unique platform to engage with community members and educate them on the best practices for waste reduction. MetPac-SA focused on educating communities about the importance of separation at source, which includes separating recyclables, especially metal, to ensure they do not end up in landfills.
MetPac-SA showed its commitment to partnering with local communities by sponsoring gloves, water, and cool drinks to quench the participants’ thirst.
Each community member was given gloves, a trash bag, water, and a cap as they dispersed throughout the neighbourhood collecting discarded plastic, glass, paper, and metal. MetPac-SA had the opportunity to capacitate the community with knowledge on the importance and the infinite recyclability of metal. The youth in attendance played an important role as role models, inspiring others to start recycling metal as a means of keeping the earth clean and earning an income. The community was so engaged in the clean-up and asked a lot of questions about implementing separation at source. The community also wanted to know about the implementation of a circular economy as a means of transforming their daily lifestyle behaviour.
The clean-up further enforced waste minimisation through waste diversion away from landfills.
WASTE CHARACTERISATION:
25 Bags of waste collected
95% of the waste collected was PET
4% waste collected was Glass
1% waste collected was Alu-Cans
It was evident that metal is wealth, as most community members attested that they collect Alu-Cans from home and offer them to waste pickers. Those that do not offer Alu-Cans to waste pickers are collecting them to sell at buy-back centres as a means of earning an income.
The clean-up was indeed a resounding success. MetPac-SA is proud to be the official sponsor of Phoenix for the Planet and is immensely proud of the great work they are doing in waste minimisation.
