RUTENDO CHIRUME
MASVINGO-New kid on the block in the recycling of waste plastic material has made a positive impact in the industry only 11 months after it started operations in the ancient city.
Usagain Recycling Pvt Ltd which started operations in February, 2023 has already made inroads in the manufacturing of black polythene sheeting where it is converting waste into cash for the community especially in Masvingo.
Usagain which is located at the Masvingo Showgrounds is into recycling of waste plastic obtained from the vendors, Hippo Valley and Tongaat Huletts in Chiredzi.
“We get our raw materials, which is waste plastics picked from the streets by vendors and we also get some from sugar manufacturer, Tongaat Huletts. Tongaat have a lot of plastic waste from sugar packaging and it is that waste that we get and convert into polythene sheeting material.
“They sell to us at affordable prices and we also buy from vendors, where we pay them handsomely for every kg of plastic waste,” said Godfrey Rugare, the brains behind Usagain.
Thick polythene rolls are mostly used for construction purposes and Usagain delivers the material directly to wholesalers at competitive prices packaged in 100, 150 and 60kgs.
Currently, Usagain is the only supplier of polythene sheeting rolls in Masvingo and Rugare said they are up to the task as they can meet the demand.
Rugare said he was inspired to start the recycling venture by the need to keep the environment clean from waste plastic while at the same time making money for the vendors and creating employment for locals.
“What inspired me to start this recycling company is to promote clean environment.
“I had a passion for recycling waste. Everywhere I looked, plastic paper littered everywhere and I thought how can I make a positive impact using plastic waste.
“For me waste plastic is money and people should not litter the environment, instead they should bring the waste plastic for cash here, we take in any amount ranging from a kg going upwards and pay you there and there.
“Our mission is to solve the massive waste problem and improve the environment by converting waste to useful high-quality products,” he told the Midweek Watch, during a tour of the plant.
He added that they have also created employment opportunities for women especially those from Victoria Range who sort out plastic waste from Tongaat as material from the sugar manufacturer sometimes come mixed with sugar.
“We are now employing +/- 15 people and have two shifts a day depending with the availability of electricity.
“The women who sort out the waste also get something from the company and the sugar they get from the waste plastics, we allow them to take it home as part of their benefits, we don’t charge them for that and some get as much as 2kg per day in addition to their allowances,” said Rugare.
He also revealed that plans are at an advanced stage to increase production at the plant as more machines to make disposable bins for hospitals and private users as well as career bags, packaging material is on its way.
“We are expecting delivery of additional machinery anytime from now to increase production as we are sitting on huge orders from health facilities, schools and companies for disposable bins and small packaging material,” added the soft spoken businessman.
Rugare runs a thriving farming business in the lowveld and has diversified into manufacturing after seeing the recycling gap to keep the environment clean.
“We recycle in order to save the environment, prevent pollution, to provide a sustainable source of materials for making new products, recycling requires much less energy than producing plastic from scratch.
“According to the World Health Organisation, a dirty environment is the definition of poverty, it attracts diseases like cholera, diarrhea and typhoid, just to mention a few.
“Dumping garbage can kill or stunt plant growth aid in spreading of diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea, tetanus, whooping cough etc,” concluded Rugare.
