SOCIAL
IMPACT
At Verigreen, we recognize our responsibility to contribute to the wider community by addressing the pressing social issues caused by poverty, unemployment, inequality, and skills shortages.
These initiatives provide more than a helping hand; they represent an investment in dignity – the empowerment of individuals by providing an entrepreneurial opportunity to secure a sustainable income and, in turn, instilling a sense of pride and belonging.
We have already achieved this through our support of the Women in Recycling programme, which has successfully empowered more than 300 women. We are committed to empowering many more through future initiatives.
IID Women in Recycling
The Invest in Dignity (IID) Women in Recycling is aiding in the elevation of disadvantaged communities while also doing its part to protect the environment. The IID has developed women empowerment programmes, allowing women-owned SMMEs to benefit from knowledge, experience, and industry access. By collaborating with women entrepreneurs and equipping them with the necessary abilities and market access to generate revenue and support their families, the larger aim is to promote sustainable enterprise growth while enhancing people’s lives.
Our Mamas – Our Heros
The programme was initiated in 2012, and is currently enhancing the lives of women who were previously disadvantaged – the Mamas – who collect recyclable materials from manufacturers, businesses, shopping centres and markets that have been discarded as waste.
Verigreen purchases the collected material at a premium rate compared to the industry standard, to be processed through our recycling partners into raw material, which is then used in the production of our Drawstring Refuse Bags, thus completing the cycle of a waste-to-product initiative.
The heroic actions of our Mamas should be commended. Not only do they provide for their own children and grandchildren through education, but they also operate within a self-sustainable micro-economy that empowers them, their families, and communities. Their business practices are a source of inspiration and have a positive impact on the environment, as they provide a valuable and essential service to the recyclable products industry.
The ambition is to eventually expand the IID Women in Recycling Programme to all of South Africa and to further improve lives through waste collection and recycling initiatives. To learn more about the Supa Mama social initiative, please visit their website. Through the IID Women in Recycling initiative, Verigreen is actively protecting the environment by diverting waste from landfills, combating poverty, and encouraging entrepreneurship through skills training.
