Regenize: How to recycle your trash for food and airtime

Regenize has enabled Cape Town residents to turn their trash into money through their recycling start-up, and actively enables recyclers to earn Remali; which serves as their virtual currency, for users to buy groceries from Pick ‘n Pay or airtime directly from service providers.

What is Regenize?

This innovative “green” start-up managed to bag South African Breweries (SAB) social innovation award, earning a healthy R1,3 million in funding, and they continue their efforts to clean up the streets while allowing residents to make a quick buck in the process.

“We created Regenize to motivate people to recycle. Through recycling, we wanted to provide an avenue for recyclers to contribute toward positive social change. By recycling with Regenize, you are helping to shape a future where your environmental impact can be the catalyst for influencing industry behaviour, creating opportunities for communities to access recycling services and support for waste pickers – who are at the heart of driving recycling up in the country.”

Reginize

How does the Regenize service work?

The service provides a residential recycling collection service and rewards residents with Remali when they recycle, the more you recycle, the more points you earn in the virtual currency.

On collection day, trash is weighed at your doorstep and later, a report consisting of weight, carbon emissions reduced and how much Remali is earned, will be updated to the user’s profile.

Residents register on the portal, and once established the recycling can begin, as Regenize partners up with waste pickers and provides uniforms, recycling tricycles and smartphones – which connects them to residents- and they go door-to-door collecting recyclable materials, on “garbage days”

The Remali earned can be used at Pick ‘n Pay stores to buy groceries to its value, and users can use points to buy airtime or data directly from cellphone network service providers such as MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom Mobile.

What are the Regenize collection areas?

The collection days are weekly between 08:00 to 16:00, they are updated directly on their website, and this service is currently available in these Cape Town suburbs:

• Bothasig, Bellville West, Bo-Kaap, Boston, Brooklyn, Bridgetown
• Cape Town City Centre, Century City
• Devil’s Peak, De Waterkant
• Edgemead
• Fairfield Estate
• Gardens, Goodwood Estate, Glenlily, Glenwood, Green Point
• Kensington, Kleinbosch
• Maitland, Milnerton, Montague Gardens, Monte Vista
• Observatory, Oranjezicht
• Paarden Eiland, Parow, Panaroma, Plattekloof Glen
• Salt River, Sanddrift
• Tamboerskloof, Tijgerhof, Townsend Estate, Tygerdal
• Richmond Estate, Rugby
• Vasco Estate, Vredehoek
• Walmer Estate, Welgelegen, Windermere, Woodstock
• Zonnebloem