Sinah Mojanko is the founder and chief executive officer of TiyAmo Recycling, a 100% black-owned business involved in sustainable waste management. Recycling is one of the effective ways in environmentalists across the world manage waste and also ensure it is properly disposed of. Mojanko’s company collects and recycles tons of inorganic materials in the communities to make sure they do not pollute and degrade the environment. Essentially, it specialises in the recycling of plastics, plastic bottles, white paper, cardboard box, tins and scrap metals.
Professionalising and transforming recycling
The recycling industry is one of the thriving and multi-million businesses which is also creating employment opportunities for the scores of the jobless people in the country. Through her recycling outfit, Mojanko aims to achieve twin objectives: to leverage the lucrative nature of recycling to create more jobs and to help address the impact of climate change by promoting environmental sustainability. For Mojanko the idea is to mainstream and transform the sector that is generally associated with the economically vulnerable members of society.
Strengthening measures to address plastic pollution
In commemorating World Environment Day whose theme was ‘#BeatPlasticPollution’, minister of forestry, fisheries and environment, Barbara Creecy, highlighted waste management, particularly plastics and their derivatives, as one of the critical environmental challenges facing the country. She said according to the World Wide Fund figures, South Africa annually produces just over 2.5 tons of plastics. Creecy added that her department is trying to divert waste from going to landfills and that they are also strengthening compliance and enforcement measures against polluters.
Where it all begun
Mojanko says her entrepreneurial passion started when she was in still in primary school. “I would plait people’s hair for R10 per person and used the profit to help with a few things at home. Later on she started a mini car wash where she would offer to wash cars over weekend for a fee. She sharpened her skills in the corporate sector where she worked in the small business finance unit. In addressing the challenge of unemploymentMojanko’s company has provided jobs to majority of people from all walks of life both skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labourers. Currently TiyAmo Recycling employs four people:
- one sorter
- a bailer and
- the driver who also doubles as a collector or customer relations manager.
Turning around the lives of drug addicts
Mojanko also develops training programmes as well as providing mentorship to other recyclers because she believes the sector is both profitable and sustainable. What stands out for her is the employment of scores of young nyaope drug addicts who successfully turned their lives around and stopped smoking the drug. Most of them even went back and re-united with their families, says Mojanko.
She admires the resilience of the recyclers for being out there in the streets to eke out a living and put food on the table for their families. Whether it is sunny or rainy, the recyclers go out to collect everything that most people consider trash and throw it everywhere, observed Mojanko. She says her company sources its stock from the municipality’s dumping sites including collecting from schools, different companies and different shopping complexes or malls.
Building own recycling plant
Mojanko says her future plans include owning her recycling plant which would have a drop off area for all small and large company collectors. The plan will also entail supplying big recycling organisations with bails and also export to other countries abroad. Training still remains a priority for Mojanko. And that is why she would like to build a recycling centre where she will be developing, mentoring and coaching emerging recycling entrepreneurs.
