Petco Infrastructure Grants Drive 30% Productivity Surge for South African Recycling Centers

Petco invests 9 million Rand in recycling infrastructure, providing conveyor systems and balers to boost efficiency at Gauteng buyback centers.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Engineering News

Strategic Investment in the Circular Economy

Producer responsibility organization Petco has nearly doubled its annual investment in small business infrastructure, increasing support from 4.5 million Rand in 2024 to nearly 9 million Rand in 2025. This funding, sourced from extended producer responsibility fees paid by member organizations, is designed to strengthen the domestic collection and recycling value chain. By equipping grassroots buyback centers with industrial machinery, Petco aims to fulfill corporate sustainability commitments through tangible operational improvements at the community level.

Technological Advancements at Flink Pik

In Pretoria, the Flink Pik buyback center has undergone a major transformation following a combined investment of almost 900,000 Rand. The facility recently integrated a horizontal baler and an infeed conveyor system, which are expected to increase polyethylene terephthalate processing by 40%. Since beginning its partnership with Petco in 2023, the center has already seen monthly collection volumes grow from 46 tons to 120 tons, demonstrating the rapid scalability provided by targeted mechanical support.

Operational Efficiency and Resource Management

The introduction of conveyor belts has fundamentally altered the workflow within these recycling operations. Tlou Sebola, Petco's collections and training manager, noted that automation reduces the manual labor previously required to move recyclables into balers one by one. According to Flink Pik co-owner Henk du Preez, the new machinery creates heavier bales that require less rope and occupy significantly less stacking space, allowing the business to manage higher volumes with greater logistical efficiency.