In the waste management sector, safety is not just a compliance metric – it is a moral imperative. And few stories capture this ethos as powerfully as that of Moz Environmental, who, from April 2021 to May 2025, have successfully completed 2 million work hours without a single Lost Time Injury (LTI).

This continuous achievement from zero to two million hours represents not only an operational triumph but also a cultural milestone: a story of people, purpose, and protection.

A Culture Built on Care

At Moz Environmental, safety is not delegated to one department or driven by a single leader – it is lived by every employee. From senior leadership to depot teams, each individual contributes to a daily environment where risk is identified, addressed, and communicated proactively.

The organisation has adopted a philosophy that champions shared accountability and empowerment. Toolbox Talks are led on a rotational basis, ensuring that every voice is heard and every team member has ownership over their working environment. Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) campaigns are implemented weekly, reinforcing good habits and calling attention to unsafe conditions in real-time.

Strengthening the System

Following their first million-hour milestone, Moz Environmental doubled down on safety:

• New SHEQ personnel were appointed across depots
• Stop Card initiatives expanded to all locations with higher submission rates
• PPE inspections, area audits, and supervisory walkthroughs intensified
• Defensive driver training was rolled out to all operational drivers via Concord and Sasol
• Signage and take-home materials were introduced to extend the safety culture beyond the workplace

And importantly, the culture of recognition flourished. Each month, different teams and individuals are rewarded for their contributions to safety, reinforcing a positive feedback loop that values commitment and consistency.

Leadership in Action

As Centrifuge Coordinator Augusto Fernando reflects, “This milestone means that our safety systems are working. It shows our environment is safer, our compliance stronger, and our teams more aware. But to maintain this culture, we must continue to invest in training, risk assessments, and near-miss reporting.”

Junior Supervisor Fatima Cornelio adds, “This success proves our dedication. But we cannot become complacent – our future depends on keeping workers involved, trained, and engaged.”

Resilience Amid Adversity

Perhaps what makes this achievement even more meaningful is the context in which it occurred. From civil unrest to natural disasters like Cyclone Chido, the team faced significant challenges. Despite damaged infrastructure and limited access to water and electricity, they maintained operational continuity and safety performance. Not a single injury was recorded. This resilience is not coincidental – it is cultural.

Trusted by Clients. Recognised Nationally.

Clients including ENI, Sasol, and others have lauded the consistency and professionalism of the Moz Environmental team. The Department of Labour has awarded the team with four accolades for safety excellence – two regional, one national, and one campaign-specific.

These awards are not the end of the road. They are checkpoints in a longer journey of continuous improvement. And as a business, Moz Environmental continues to embody the Interwaste and Séché Environnement vision: to build a safer, more sustainable Africa, one workday at a time.

The Road Ahead

2 million hours LTI-free is not just a feather in our cap – it is a call to action. To continue listening, learning, and leading in safety. To create a workplace where every action reflects our care for one another, and where Zero Harm is not just a campaign, but a way of life.

Congratulations to every member of the Moz Environmental family. You’ve made all of us proud.

Together we serve land and life. Together we work safer.

Plastic is everywhere. It wraps our food, transports our goods, and clutters our streets and oceans. Globally, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, with only a fraction effectively recycled. In South Africa, an estimated 60,000 tonnes of plastic enter our rivers and oceans annually. The consequences? Choked waterways, declining biodiversity, and communities burdened by waste.

But this story isn’t just one of crisis – it’s also one of innovation, responsibility, and hope. On this World Environment Day, we’re celebrating the African-driven solutions turning the tide against plastic pollution and showing the world that progress doesn’t have to wait.

Turning Waste into Roads in KwaZulu-Natal

Imagine driving down a road built from recycled plastic. In KwaZulu-Natal, this is already a reality. A pilot project using plastic waste in asphalt mixtures has delivered roads that are not only more durable but also more cost-effective than conventional builds. These plastic roads represent a practical, scalable solution – transforming harmful waste into a national asset.

EcoBricks: Building the Future with Plastic

At the grassroots level, the EcoBrick Exchange is empowering communities to reuse non-recyclable plastics. These tightly packed plastic bottles – called ecobricks – are used to build schools, benches, and community centres. It’s a circular solution that provides both housing infrastructure and a new use for plastics that would otherwise pollute the environment.

From Pollution to Pay Day: The Packa-Ching Revolution

Waste has value – when it’s treated right. The Packa-Ching initiative brings mobile recycling units to communities, allowing people to trade plastic and other recyclables for cash. This simple but powerful model drives participation, builds recycling habits, and creates economic opportunity – proving that waste management can be inclusive and empowering.

Recycling Innovation from Industry Leaders

South Africa’s plastics industry has been quick to respond to the challenge. PETCO, one of the country’s most successful Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, works across the value chain to drive plastic recycling rates upwards. Their efforts have created thousands of jobs and diverted millions of tonnes of PET plastic from landfills and natural spaces.

Africa is not alone in this fight. Across the globe, forward-thinking solutions are emerging:

• The Ocean Cleanup project is removing plastic from major river systems before it reaches the sea.
• Loop, an international reuse platform, partners with major brands to eliminate single-use plastic packaging.
• In India, plogging – jogging while picking up litter – has evolved into a mass movement, changing the culture around waste one step at a time.

These efforts remind us that while plastic pollution is a global issue, solutions can begin at a local level and ripple outward.

The Interwaste Approach: Innovation, Accountability, Action

At Interwaste, our commitment to #BeatPlasticPollution goes beyond awareness. We support circular economy models, such as repurposing plastic waste into alternative fuels and energy through our licensed waste treatment and disposal infrastructure. Our Waste-to-Energy project, along with engineered landfill practices, ensures that plastics that cannot be recycled are disposed of safely and responsibly.

More importantly, we believe in partnerships – working alongside communities, corporates, and policymakers to drive scalable impact across the waste value chain.

Plastic pollution won’t be solved by a single innovation – but by a million actions working together. Whether it’s refusing single-use plastic, supporting local recycling efforts, or redesigning how we produce and consume, each decision matters.

This World Environment Day, let’s celebrate the technology, the people, and the solutions that are already making a difference. South Africa is not behind – it is rising to meet the moment.

Together, we can beat plastic pollution. Let’s build a future where plastic is part of the solution, not the problem.

Waste management doesn’t need grand gestures to create lasting change. Often, it’s the small, intentional actions – separating recyclables, reducing food waste, or supporting eco-friendly businesses – that create the biggest impacts. In South Africa, where waste management is still evolving, these small steps are essential to addressing environmental challenges while uplifting communities. By focusing on incremental progress, we can serve both land and life, laying the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable future.

A Legacy of Progress

South Africa has made significant progress in improving waste management systems, but many communities still face challenges. According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE):“Although 61% of South African households had access to kerbside domestic waste collection services in 2007, this access remains highly skewed in favour of more affluent and urban communities. Inadequate waste services lead to unpleasant living conditions and a contaminated, unhealthy environment.”This disparity highlights the importance of small, targeted actions that can improve waste services for underserved communities while advancing broader sustainability goals.

Small Steps Driving Big Impacts

1. Organic Waste Composting in Cape Town
   The Oribi Village Composting Initiative in Cape Town has transformed how local businesses manage organic waste. By partnering with restaurants and markets, the program diverts food waste from landfills and turns it into nutrient-rich compost for urban farming. This small, localized effort reduces methane emissions while supporting local food production.
2. Repair Cafés in Johannesburg
   Repair cafés are popping up all over the world as community-led hubs where people can bring broken items to be fixed rather than discarded. These spaces promote a culture of reuse and repair, reducing waste and extending the life cycle of everyday products.
3. Community Recycling Hubs in Limpopo
   In rural Limpopo, the WasteAid SA Recycling Project has introduced community recycling hubs where residents can drop off recyclables and receive incentives. This program empowers communities, reduces litter, and fosters economic opportunities through recycling.

Connecting Waste to Land and Life

The connection between waste management and broader environmental and social health is clear. Poorly managed waste affects soil fertility, biodiversity, and water quality – all critical to sustaining life. For example, polluted soil from illegal dumping sites limits agricultural productivity, impacting food security for vulnerable communities. Conversely, sustainable practices like composting restore soil health and promote biodiversity.

In KwaZulu-Natal, efforts to rehabilitate the Duzi Riverbanks have included community cleanups and waste education campaigns. These initiatives not only remove waste but also restore habitats for local wildlife, proving that small steps can lead to meaningful change.

Start Small, Think Big

Serving land and life starts with small, intentional steps. Whether it’s reducing your own waste, supporting local recycling initiatives, or participating in community cleanups, every action contributes to a healthier planet. Here are three simple ways to get started:

• Reduce Food Waste: Plan meals and compost scraps to minimize waste.
• Support Repair Initiatives: Fix broken items rather than replacing them.
• Engage Locally: Participate in recycling or cleanup efforts in your community.

Small actions, when multiplied, create ripples that shape the future. By focusing on serving both land and life, South Africa is proving that incremental progress can have profound effects. Let’s continue to take small, intentional steps that protect our environment, empower communities, and inspire sustainable change.

Each of us has a role to play. Together, we can transform the way we manage waste and redefine our relationship with the land and the life it supports. Start small, think big, and make every action count.

Earth is our only home, and how we treat it defines the legacy we leave for future generations. With waste mounting, biodiversity dwindling, and ecosystems under threat, the Era of Responsibility is not just an option – it’s a necessity. May’s theme, “There is no Planet B,” is a call to action for South Africa and the world to embrace sustainable practices, promote accountability, and take collective responsibility for protecting our precious planet.

The Weight of Responsibility

South Africa faces significant challenges in waste management, but it’s also a country rich with potential to lead the way in sustainable innovation. With an annual waste generation of 107 million tonnes, the need for accountability across all sectors – government, business, and individuals – is more urgent than ever. Programs like the National Waste Management Strategy (2020) are setting ambitious goals, but achieving them requires everyone to step up.

Lessons in Accountability: What Works

Sustainability thrives on responsibility, and South Africa is already home to initiatives proving that accountability works:

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Action

Companies like PETCO are revolutionizing plastic recycling by taking responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products. Their work in South Africa has not only increased recycling rates but also created jobs and reduced the environmental impact of plastic waste.

Collaborative Waste Reduction

The Packa-Ching initiative uses mobile recycling units to collect recyclable waste directly from communities. This innovative model not only reduces waste but also incentivizes recycling through cash rewards, fostering community accountability and participation.

Sustainable Farming and Waste Reduction

In Limpopo, the Magoebaskloof Biomass Project turns invasive plant species into renewable energy. This initiative demonstrates how responsibility in managing environmental challenges can yield both ecological and economic benefits.

The Role of Individuals: Accountability Starts at Home

The Era of Responsibility isn’t just about policies and corporate action – it starts with individuals taking charge of their own impact. Simple steps can make a big difference:

• Reduce and Reuse: Minimize single-use plastics and find creative ways to repurpose items.
• Separate Waste at Source: Participate in programs like the Separation at Source initiative to ensure recyclables are properly processed.
• Support Local Efforts: Engage with community initiatives like buy-back centres and composting programs to contribute to sustainable waste management.

Staking Our Future: Responsibility with Action

As South Africans, we hold the power to turn responsibility into action. Every piece of waste diverted from a landfill, every policy enforced, and every innovation adopted brings us closer to sustainability. The stakes are high – there is no alternative to Earth. By embracing accountability now, we can preserve our planet’s resources and create a thriving, waste-conscious future.

Choosing Responsibility Over Neglect

The Era of Responsibility is not just about acknowledging the problem; it’s about being part of the solution. South Africa’s challenges are steep, but the rewards of accountability are far-reaching – cleaner environments, healthier communities, and a sustainable economy.

Each small action contributes to a larger movement of change. Let’s choose responsibility over neglect, sustainability over convenience, and collaboration over isolation. Together, we can build a future where waste no longer defines us but empowers us to innovate and protect the one planet we all call home.