Syngenta partners Maguires in plastic-waste recycling project
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Agro-business concern, Syngenta Zimbabwe and Maguires Zimbabwe have entered into a partnership to help keep plastic waste out of the environment in Matabeleland and Bulawayo provinces, Business Times can report.
The collaboration will see the plastic containers being recycled, a move which is part environment clean-up.
The move will also help farmers produce crops with reduced carbon print.
This is part of cleaning up the environment, freeing it of pollution and waste, and producing crops with reduced carbon print as part of international sustainability standards. Revenue and employment are created by recycling the plastic container,” Syngenta crop consultant, Joe Mkandla told Business Times.
He added: “Millions of plastic chemical bottles and containers are distributed throughout the country all year round. As an agricultural company, we have a part to play. We have undertaken a recycling scheme to try to reduce the amount of plastic waste and recycle as much of these usable materials into new products.”
He said farmers started delivering empty plastic containers five months ago.
“We partnered with the Maguires and farmers started delivering empty plastic containers five months ago. Syngenta expects all members of the agriculture industry who supply or use products that are packaged in such plastic containers to support this clean up initiative, “he said.
The development by Syngenta and Maguires comes at a time when Chasdiel Investment, two months ago, invested US$200 000 to establish a new plastic waste recycling plant in Bulawayo.
Chasdiel has procured state-of-the-art equipment and will be producing more than 32 000 carrier bags per day from plastic waste.
Mkandla said by getting the agricultural industry players on board the players believe “this will have a long-lasting impact not only on the longevity of the industry but will also impact how the outside world views Zimbabwe’s agricultural practices which can only be seen as good for business and exciting for the future of Zimbabwe agriculture”.
