A recycle swop shop provides goods in exchange for recyclable materials. Started in 2013, the Emba Swop Shop is run in the format of such a recycle swop shop. The initiative is only open to children. We do allow adults to be involved; however, they need to do so with a child. We generally run an event once a month on the last Saturday of the month. Sometimes we will do it earlier in a month depending on school holidays (we have a list of our upcoming planned dates to try help you plan ahead).
There are three basic stages that occur at any event. These stages are registration, weighing and the shop. Children progress through these three stages in that order. The details of each stage are as follows:
Registration
During the registration process we capture basic details about a child such as their name, date of birth and the school that they attend. Once they are registered they receive a unique number and a card with that unique number printed on it. This card is their primary mode of authentication through the rest of the process. By capturing their details we are able to assist children who may have lost their cards and thus ensure that the points that a child collects will remain theirs.
Weighing
At the weighing station children present their registration card and we double check their name. Then we begin weighing their recyclables. We capture the mass of the recyclables and their type. We accept glass, tin, and mixed plastic (primarily LDPE, HDPE, and PET plastic) Based on this information the system assigns the child points according to the inherent value of the waste; plastic is the most valuable, tin less valuable and glass the least valuable. The points the children earn can then be used at the shop.
The Shop
At the shop the children once again present their registration card and we double check their name. The system then tells us how many points they have available to spend. The available balance is based on what recyclables they brought and weighed that day combined with any points that they saved from previous events. The children can then spend the points on any items that are available in the shop. The shop contains basic foodstuffs, toiletries, school supplies and stationary, and sports equipment including balls. As children purchase items points are deducted from their balance. Once the child’s point balance reaches zero or they decide that they want to save the rest of the points the transaction is saved on the system.
A video of it all
Here is a video of us being featured on Expresso Morning Show on SABC 3. It gives a nice overview of how we work, take a look: