About 250 waste collectors from Windhoek, Swakopmund, and Otjiwarongo are set to receive training and an opportunity to link up with recyclers through a pioneering community recycling programme.

The programme is supported by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Namibia and aims to equip participants with valuable skills for income generation through recycling.

A representative of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Namibia, Enid Johr, expressed confidence at the launch of the Recycling Heroes Project that participants will be empowered to negotiate equitable prices for their final recycled products while promoting a sense of ownership and entrepreneurship.

She stated that the Recycling Heroes Project will also assist local authorities in creating cleaner communities and towns while creating an income stream for the unemployed.

"We have the scale and reach to make real differences, and we're pushing our leadership position to drive change and help put our planet on a more sustainable path. We want our business and the communities we serve to benefit from greater shared opportunity. This is about more than the bottom line, because opportunity is not measured by money alone; opportunity means a better future for people across the African continent."

Johr further emphasised that Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Namibia remains committed to recycling and aims to reach at least 60 percent recycling by December this year.

She says the company produces about 200 tonnes of plastic per month.

Other partners in the Recycling Heroes Project are the Recycling Namibia Forum and Development Workshop Namibia.