BusinessLive reports that the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has teamed up with the packaging industry to provide food vouchers to waste reclaimers to cushion them from the hardships brought by the national lockdown.
The local packaging industry, including Packaging SA, Mpact and Fibre Circle, has offered financial support worth R785,000 to assist waste pickers during the lockdown period. The department indicated on Monday that almost 4,000 waste pickers would receive electronic food vouchers via their cellphones during the week. The electronic voucher system was being used to ease the logistics of distributing food parcels across all provinces. The African Reclaimers Organisation and the SA Waste Pickers Association are developing a list of beneficiaries who will receive the food vouchers. Recipients can reclaim the vouchers at food retailers Shoprite, Pick n Pay and Checkers as well as Dis-Chem and Clicks for essential items. Collection of recyclables is not defined as an essential service.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Odwa Mjo at BusinessLive
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