Petco has begun disbursing grants from its new Empowerment Fund, with one of South Africa’s longest-established recycling businesses among the first to benefit, according to a press release.
The Petco Empowerment Fund was set up to help small and medium-sized enterprises scale up in the collection and recycling value chain. Funded by contributions from producer members and other supporters, it provides finance and business support to B-BBEE Level 1 enterprises to expand capacity and increase volumes of recyclable material collected. Petco chief executive Telly Chauke said the initiative is aimed at building a more inclusive recycling economy by moving enterprises beyond survival and into sustainable growth.
One of the first recipients, Ladysmith-based Why Waste, received R1.3 million to buy a four-tonne truck, double-axle trailer, and mobile baling machine. The 100% black-owned company, operating for almost 30 years, employs 59 people and works with around 230 independent collectors, recovering more than 6,000 tonnes of packaging waste each year.
Why Waste’s head of finance and marketing, Razia Patel, described the grant as ‘transformational’. She said the equipment had already cut transport costs, boosted processing capacity, and opened new collection routes in underserved rural and semi-urban areas.
The expansion has also enabled the company to onboard more waste pickers, provide reliable buy-back support, and bring additional local businesses into the recycling chain. Annual volumes are expected to grow by 20%–25%, keeping up to 1,500 extra tonnes of packaging out of landfill.
