KZN woman collects 34 tons of glass for recycling, equivalent to 7 elephants!

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Happy Kumalo achieved a great deal in 2019, but she wasn’t quite sure what to do, she had collected a whopping 34 tons of glass but had no means to sell it.

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – Happy Khumalo came up with a smart business to support herself and hopefully others. In June 2018, she started collecting glass from businesses in her area. After a while she had collected so much, she wasn’t sure what to do with it.

Happy continued to collect the glass bottles until she had amassed a collection so great, it was equal to the weight of seven fully grown elephants.

With such a massive collection, Happy realised she would either have to sell her collection off in small batches or find a buyer capable of taking the whole lot. The ideal situation would be to sell the entire amount, which would cover all her operational costs and hours from the last year.

The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) were informed about her situation, and a team were sent to her premises in Richards Bay. They were able to assist her with guidance and support as her business is still young. They connected her with another local entrepreneur, Nompilo Recycling, to whom she could sell her glass.

“Working with The Glass Recycling Company has been a great experience! As someone trying to start a business, I have been able to learn a lot with their help,” exclaimed Happy.

Starting a business is only part of the journey, TGRC works hard at supporting the entrepreneurs in order to ensure that they are able to build a sustainable recycling business, and this includes, for example providing entrepreneurs with bulk bags amongst where they can pack their glass.

“I am grateful to TGRC because they helped me when I found it difficult to remain optimistic about recycling glass and I became motivated again,” said Happy.

“We are a now a team of three people in the business and it feels good to be continue supplementing my income and earning my own money.”

Happy is one of many entrepreneurs who are thriving in the recycling industry, an industry that continues to provide opportunities to new entrepreneurs.