Johannesburg waste-management company Pikitup on Wednesday said it was rolling out Phase 2 of its Separation at Source project to the Zondi depot-serviced areas, in Soweto, on October 1.

The project aims to encourage residents to recycle their household refuse and promotes job creation through the exchange of money for recyclable waste.

“The idea is to get residents to start turning trash [waste] to treasure [resource], thereby evoking a change in mindset where value can still be extracted from what was previously viewed as useless,” Pikitup said in a statement.

The Separation at Source project is currently operational in the Waterval area, covering suburbs that included Northcliff, Cresta, Westcliff and Fairlands. A Pikitup pilot project has been run in the area since late 2009.

The venture requires residents to use separate receptacles to collect their waste, a black bin for nonrecyclable household waste; a clear durable plastic bag for materials such as glass, cans and plastics; and a reusable bag for paper materials.

Pikitup had also undertaken an education and awareness drive to alert residents on the Separation at Source project, where field workers visit households in the affected areas.

“Not only does the project contribute towards a sustainable environment, it also creates business opportunities for the city’s reclaimers and recycling cooperatives who make a living out of selling discarded recycled items,” Johannesburg MMC for environment, infrastructure and services Matshidiso Mfikoe said.

The Separation at Source project would also be brought to the Diepsloot, Ivory Park and Orange Farm areas.

“The phased implementation process is so that we can learn as we implement and also ensure that more residents in the city become involved by 2014,” Mfikoe noted.

She added that Johannesburg was one of the first cities in South Africa to embark on a recycling initiative of such scale. “The immediate priority is to get buy-in from the residents, but over time waste recycling will become compulsory throughout the City of Joburg.”