Safmarine and customers partner in recycled container projects

Safmarine will continue using shipping containers as ‘agents of social change’ by recycling containers no longer required at sea into much-needed permanent infrastructure like schools, classrooms, libraries and computer laboratories, says CEO Gail Kelly. The eco-friendly re-use of containers has been the foundation of Safmarine’s ‘Containers in the Community’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme since it was launched in 1992. “More than 90% of all South African cargo (import and export) is carried by sea and most of it is transported in shipping containers, which emphasises the important role the shipping container plays in the economic development of the South African economy,” says Kelly. “Two decades ago Safmarine decided to go one step further – to use containers to support social development and upliftment.” The line has also decided to involve its customers in its innovative ‘Containers in the Community’ programme. One of these partnerships with fruit exporter Karstens has already benefited a number of educational and environmental projects at schools in the Upington area in the Northern Cape. Albert Hein, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands (and a Karstens customer), has provided further support by donating prize money for school vegetable garden competitions. All prize money is reinvested into the gardens, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the projects. Safmarine donated six containers that were used to build dedicated kitchen/ consumer studies classrooms while Karstens employees have helped to enhance nutritional knowledge and environmental awareness by imparting knowledge and skills to learners and educators. Computer literacy has also been given a boost in the Upington area with the donation of two containers that were used to build a large ‘e-learning laboratory’ at one of the schools.