Recycling Namibia
Striving to improve proper and more effective waste removal.
Rent-A-Drum was established in 1989 and has grown into the biggest private enterprise of its kind in the country.
Rent-A-Drum is a leading organisation in waste management and recycling in Namibia and offers the most comprehensive services to local corporations, mines and smaller companies, including residents of Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Oshakati, Oranjemund and Rundu.
Speaking to commercial manager Jaco Swart, he said that what began as a small business collecting household and garden waste 34 years ago has since grown exponentially.
“In 2009 we started with recycling. Since then we have expanded all over Namibia. Today Rent-A-Drum is a household name that provides a one-stop service to residents and businesses across the country. We believe in a totally integrated waste management solution for our clients.”
When asked what brought about the growth, Swart said that the first thing they provide is a professional service to all their clients, “and we understand that they need. We also offer a much wider list of client services from when we started 34 years ago,” he said.
Besides their main branches, they also have satellite depots at Langer Heinrich, Husab and Rossing.
In terms of specialised services, Rent-A-Drum assists the mining industry, “especially since there is much more hazardous waste that we have to deal with. We also assist with demolishing old buildings and scrap removal. We're also involved in the oil and gas industry, to provide a full-scope service,” he said.
Teaching the youth
Rent-A-Drum is currently running a social media campaign to teach waste management to children.
Speaking to Abraham Reinhard, who is the operations manager for recycling, he said that this practice is vital to the entire country. “It is important that waste that ends up at landfills or at dump sites is recycled. Instead of plastics being blown away by the wind, we really want to make sure that each and every individual recycles.”
He said that they often have children visiting their facility. “We try to carry the message across clearly so that they can go home and start recycling. It’s very good to make them aware from a young age so that they can really understand what it's all about – that whatever recyclables are used at home should not end up at a landfill, but rather be recycled.”
When it comes to what parents can do, he says that they play an integral role in teaching their children what can be recycled. “That's why we enrolled the clear-bag systems for homes. These bags are provided free of charge, so too is home collections thereof.”
He says what measures their success in this, is that people began calling them, telling them that their household waste going to the municipal landfill is as little as 10% of what it was before.
So, why recycle?
“The three R's: Reuse, recycle and re-use again. That's the only way we can get all recyclable items back into the system instead of on a landfill. All you need to do at home is place all your cans, plastic bottles, paper and carton into the clear bag, we will pick it up, and we will recycle it!”
Speaking to commercial manager Jaco Swart, he said that what began as a small business collecting household and garden waste 34 years ago has since grown exponentially.
“In 2009 we started with recycling. Since then we have expanded all over Namibia. Today Rent-A-Drum is a household name that provides a one-stop service to residents and businesses across the country. We believe in a totally integrated waste management solution for our clients.”
When asked what brought about the growth, Swart said that the first thing they provide is a professional service to all their clients, “and we understand that they need. We also offer a much wider list of client services from when we started 34 years ago,” he said.
Besides their main branches, they also have satellite depots at Langer Heinrich, Husab and Rossing.
In terms of specialised services, Rent-A-Drum assists the mining industry, “especially since there is much more hazardous waste that we have to deal with. We also assist with demolishing old buildings and scrap removal. We're also involved in the oil and gas industry, to provide a full-scope service,” he said.
Teaching the youth
Rent-A-Drum is currently running a social media campaign to teach waste management to children.
Speaking to Abraham Reinhard, who is the operations manager for recycling, he said that this practice is vital to the entire country. “It is important that waste that ends up at landfills or at dump sites is recycled. Instead of plastics being blown away by the wind, we really want to make sure that each and every individual recycles.”
He said that they often have children visiting their facility. “We try to carry the message across clearly so that they can go home and start recycling. It’s very good to make them aware from a young age so that they can really understand what it's all about – that whatever recyclables are used at home should not end up at a landfill, but rather be recycled.”
When it comes to what parents can do, he says that they play an integral role in teaching their children what can be recycled. “That's why we enrolled the clear-bag systems for homes. These bags are provided free of charge, so too is home collections thereof.”
He says what measures their success in this, is that people began calling them, telling them that their household waste going to the municipal landfill is as little as 10% of what it was before.
So, why recycle?
“The three R's: Reuse, recycle and re-use again. That's the only way we can get all recyclable items back into the system instead of on a landfill. All you need to do at home is place all your cans, plastic bottles, paper and carton into the clear bag, we will pick it up, and we will recycle it!”
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