Nokuthula Tshabalala of Soweto is on a mission to turn waste into economic opportunities while building cleaner and safer communities.
She is the founder and operations lead at Trash2-Treasure Recycling and Waste Management, a business that specialises in collecting recyclable materials, including glass, plastic, paper and cans.
The company’s services include waste sorting and separation, collecting glass bottles and running environmental awareness campaigns. The company also facilitates school recycling programmes and competitions, community clean-up campaigns, managing landfills, and creating jobs through recycling initiatives.
“I started the business in 2018 while working in the waste management space through Jozi@Work under Pikitup,” Tshabalala said. “My son motivated me to have multiple streams of income because he was unhappy that I always told him to wait for month end every time he asked for something.”
Because she was already knowledgeable and experienced in waste management and recycling, Tshabalala decided to venture into entrepreneurship using what was at her disposal to improve her family’s livelihood and uplift her community.
Family affair
Inspired by her work, her two brothers got involved, and she delegated them to run business operations in the Dobsonville branch.
Recycling can create careers and open doors...
— Nokuthula Tshabalala
“This has not only strengthened the business but also created opportunities within my own family, showing that recycling can truly change lives,” she said.
“Our children are also involved in the business during school holidays, learning first-hand about recycling, responsibility and entrepreneurship.”
Today, the business employs 12 people in various roles, with additional facilitators and volunteers assisting during campaigns.
The business has received support from the Fibre Circle SMME development programme, which provided Tshabalala with practical tools, business exposure and essential equipment, including trolleys and bulk bags, to improve daily operations.
Fibre Circle is a producer responsibility organisation for the paper and packaging sector that launched its SMME development programme to equip small businesses in the recycling value chain with the skills, resources and networks to succeed.
Empowering SA schools and communities
Tshabalala’s journey has been shaped by working closely with communities and schools, running clean-up campaigns, school workshops, competitions and initiatives to include under-represented groups, such as the deaf community.
Passionately creating awareness about the importance of recycling and preserving the environment, she partnered with Fibre Circle to implement the Zithande Mzansi programme at numerous schools for the deaf across the country.
The initiative promotes recycling in schools and teaches pupils about the importance of recycling and separating waste at source through language interpreters and theatre productions. She believes that awareness creates responsibility, and responsibility leads to action.
“Through education, we are building a generation that values sustainability. When young people understand the importance of recycling, they develop better habits and influence their families and communities,” Tshabalala said.
“It is also important for children to understand that waste is not just rubbish; it is an opportunity. Recycling can create careers and open doors for them to become environmental practitioners.”
So far, the business’s footprint extends to schools for the deaf across the country, including four in the Western Cape, four in the Eastern Cape, seven in KwaZulu-Natal, eight in Gauteng and two in the Free State. The programme is yet to be rolled out in Mpumalanga, the North West, Northern Cape and Limpopo.
“We recognised that learners in these schools are often excluded from mainstream programmes due to communication barriers,” Tshabalala said. “That is why I approached Fibre Circle with the concept of including schools for the deaf nationwide, as this is a community that has often been overlooked. It was important for me to ensure that they are not left behind in environmental education and opportunities.”
The company also received non-financial support from the Gauteng agriculture and rural development department, which provided equipment including scales and a trailer. This helped the business improve operations and increase capacity. — GCIS Vuk’uzenzele
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