After two decades in finance and banking, Bulelwa Ntlola never imagined her next chapter would be in waste. A visit to her hometown of Dimbaza, outside Qonce, changed that.
“It broke my heart to see how dirty the place had become,” she recalls.
That moment sparked the birth of Rural Roots Waste Services, now a co-winner of the Petco Community Recycling Changemaker Award. The buy-back centre gives residents – from school learners to waste pickers – the chance to earn income by trading in recyclable packaging like PET bottles and cartons.
With Petco’s support, Rural Roots now collects 8 tonnes of PET a month and has reached over 1,000 people through clean-ups and outreach.
“We wanted to link waste recovery with economic empowerment,” Ntlola says. “People collect recyclables, exchange them for money, and put food on the table.”
For her, recycling is about more than cleaner streets. It’s about restoring dignity, creating livelihoods, and changing the culture around waste.
The Petco award has helped Rural Roots invest in a vehicle, expand its reach, and dream bigger – from mobile recycling units to upcycling PET into reusable bags and textiles.
“Recycling isn’t just about waste,” Ntlola says. “It’s about livelihoods, dignity, and building a circular economy that includes everyone.”
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