The initiative encourages the public to collect as many cans as possible for recycling in exchange for cash – the more cans, the more cash.

Collect-a-Can has been working closely with informal collectors over the past 22 years to help them get the highest price per kilogram of cans that they deliver to their nearest branch.

“We teach collectors that they can get better prices for aluminium cans than for steel cans, however, we also encourage them to collect steel cans to help boost their income, particularly if the cans are sorted and not rusted. We also encourage them to collect the whole can for recycling and teach them that Collect-a-Can does not accept pull-rings,” says Zimasa Velaphi, public relations and marketing manager of recycling and can recovery organisation at Collect-a-Can.

“Thanks to Collect-a-Can, I get paid for the cans that I collect on a daily basis. This enables me to put food on the table for my family,” says Sello Nwana, a Mamelodi can collector.

“We believe that the ‘Cash for Cans’ initiative does not only benefit communities by providing them with an income, but it also contributes to a cleaner and greener environment,” adds Velaphi.

Cash for Cans’ has proved over the years that it can be a sustainable source of income for many informal collectors. It has taught many a valuable lesson in life: ‘With hard work and dedication they can provide for their loved ones’.

For more information about Collect-a-Can, call the Collect-a-Can head office on +27 11 466 2939 or visit the Collect-a-Can website. Alternatively, connect with the initiative via Facebook and on Twitter.