Graffiti goes green and gives hope to township unemployed

Active in the Tembisa, Diepsloot, Olievenhoutbosch and Mamelodi townships, Tatamatents collects approximately eight tons of waste products per month from eleven large-format printing companies in and around Johannesburg. This PVC and vinyl product is sold off at a nominal fee to township residents who are then able to generate an income whilst providing a much-needed insulation product used to keep the wind and rain out of township shacks.
Currently the project provides a sustainable income to no fewer than 50 township households.

Commenting on Graffiti's participation in the project, Managing Director John Rice says, "The Tatamatents initiative is an excellent way of fulfilling three important goals: of providing a much-needed product to township dwellers who need to insulate their homes, providing a sustainable income for the resellers of the product and thirdly, helping to reduce Graffiti's carbon footprint by not having this waste end up in our landfills. There are so many benefits afforded to so many people that it simply doesn't make sense not to get involved in a project of this nature."

Adds Tatamatents founder Norman Merifield, "We are delighted to welcome Graffiti on board. As a major large format printing company they have a huge amount of PVC waste product that will be of great value to our township sellers. And at the same time we're only to happy to be lightening their recycling load for them."

In addition to providing insulation for township shacks, the recycled PVC materials are currently also being developed into a range of fruit-picking bags as well a "Shisa Manzi" bag - a solar-heated hot water bag capable of holding 20 to 30 litres of water.

Merifield explains, "We saw the opportunity to branch out and find alternative uses for the recycled PVC products. The 'Shisa Manzi' solar-heated water bags are obviously of huge benefit to those living without electricity and will at the same time help to generate further income for our resellers as well as create jobs on the manufacturing side of these products too."

For further information regarding Tatamatents contact Norman Merifield on 072-279-3294 or . For more on vehicle branding and transit media contact John Rice at Graffiti on (011) 691 8400/08 or john@graffiti.co.za.