An emerging recycling cooperative seeking corporate support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 11 February 2011

 Cosatu affiliates

NGOs

Other organizations concerned with the environment and with creating jobs

Dear comrades and friends

RE:      SUPPORT FOR SIHLAHLA MURI COOPERATIVE        

Since December 2009, Numsa has been advising and supporting Numsa members after their company, Split Rock Trading, a recycling business, was closed when their employer absconded. Early in 2010, Numsa assisted them to continue operating as a recycling business in the same premises without a formal boss. However, when it was established that the building had long ago been condemned because of its dangerous electricity connections and other problems, they were forced to close. 

At the same time Numsa assisted the workers to register themselves as a cooperative. Through the Merseta, JAP and COPEC it managed to get them training in how to run a business and how to run a cooperative.

 We have simultaneously been engaged in discussions with the Johannesburg Metro to see how they can assist this cooperative. They have undertaken to give the cooperative access to one of their buildings in the Johannesburg CBD from where they will be able to re-establish their business and have also been assisting the coop with developing a sustainable business plan.

The coop also approached the Department of Trade and Industry for a grant to set up their cooperative with basic equipment – a truck, a scale and a forklift. These have now been received. But they still await a proper building to operate from.

 The cooperative’s success will depend on whether it can access a constant supply of waste material eg paper, metal, tins, bottles, plastic etc. And this is where you come in. We are asking you to help us support this cooperative by giving them a written letter of commitment to supply them with your waste paper etc. They operate from the Johannesburg CBD so any organization that is in this area would be a good supplier for them but they also travel further out if there is enough waste to warrant their journey. (If you know of any other organisations that you think may support this initiative, please feel free to pass this e-mail on to them.) 

 We have attached a sample letter of commitment for you to fill in and send to them. For more details contact Numsa regional education officer, Motebang Oupa Ralake, on 011 331 2386. Please send these letters to:

Sihlahla Muri Co-op

c/o Motebang Oupa Ralake

Numsa offices

Tel: 011 331 2386/7

Fax: 011 331 3074

e-mail: motebangr@numsa.org.za

 

Should you wish to contact the cooperative to ask them to come and pick up your waste, please phone them on 011 331 2386 and leave a message with Oupa Ralake.

 As Numsa we have undertaken to continue to support this cooperative by supplying them with our waste paper and other recyclables on an ongoing basis. We will thereby be saving the jobs of these workers and empowering them to establish themselves as a going concern.

We hope that you too can help to make their business sustainable by making the same commitment. Remember, that rubbish that you put in your rubbish bin could be putting food on the table for their families.

 Yours sincerely

NATIONAL UNION OF METALWORKERS OF SOUTH AFRICA 

 Irvin Jim

Numsa general secretary   

Letter of Commitment to Sihlahla Muri Project

To whom it may concern

 Dear Sir/Madam

 Our business is situated at: ___________________________________________________________

 ___________________________________________________________________________________

 On a monthly basis we generate paper waste as well as other items such as tins, plastic that we can offer to Sihlahla Muri Co-op. We estimate that we can supply them with  ____________________kgs of _____________ (eg paper, tins, bottles etc) on a monthly basis. (Please estimate the number of kgs per month your company can supply. To give you an idea, a very big bag of paper that the informal recyclers push on their trolleys weighs about 350kg)

 Our contact details are: ____________________

 

Yours faithfully

 _____________________

 _____________________