Approved in 2012, government-funded collection depots and infrastructure have been set up around South Africa to collect waste tires — an estimated 60 million are lying around, more than the country’s population — and deliver them to approved recyclers.

This effort has created more than 2,600 new jobs and 200 small-to-medium-sized enterprises within three years, according to the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa.

The process of collecting, transporting and recycling waste could create hundreds of thousands of jobs and small businesses, tackling one of South Africa’s greatest challenges – joblessness — says Frans Cronjé, CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations.

South Africa can do more to monetize the waste products being dumped in landfills, the IRR said in a press release. This will create jobs, support entrepreneurs and help clean up the environment in “the circular economy”.

Available at: http://afkinsider.com/105640/can-recycling-help-solve-south-african-youth-unemployment-in-the-circular-economy/