19 May 2016

Phetogo Selato, a 32-year-old man of Seolwane in the Tswapong area has found a way to make business out of waste liquor bottles. 

His company, Creative Recycle Botswana Company, is the first in Botswana to recycle bottles. 

The business was founded in 2013 after the realisation that Botswana only recycles one per cent of waste found at landfills instead of 84 per cent that environmentalists advocate for.

Selato says in an interview recently that he became interested in the glass or bottle cutting business after he saw a bottle designed and displayed at Tshomarelo Tikologo Organisation in Gaborone. “I was mesmerised by what I saw, therefore I committed myself to learn and make business out of it,” he said. 

He added that when he started his business he was based in Gaborone, but relocated to Maun in 2014 to explore the market in the tourism area. 

“My decision to relocate my business to Maun came after I realise that Maun is a tourism base. I knew that I would have a better market here.” Mr Selato further said business in Maun is far much better than it was in Gaborone. 

He collects liquor bottles from bars, clubs and restaurants and sometimes he make arrangements with some restaurants to keep bottles for him so that he can collect them at a later stage. The only tools he uses are Kinkajou hand machine and sandpaper. 

When he started his business he was able to make only two designs, but now he can make nine designs ranging from wine glasses, draft glasses, vases, candle lamps, candle holders, tooth pick holders, ornaments, dessert plates as well as cocktail glasses. One bottle makes one wine glass. Selato says he uses both quart and dumpy bottles. 

“In a day I use 25 bottles and it takes roughly nine hours to make different bottle designs. The money that I earn from my business helps me acquire my daily necessities as I am unemployed. This is my source of income” he added. 

Furthermore, Selato revealed that in 2014 he surprised himself and everybody around when he scooped position one, two and three in the Art and Craft exhibition competitions at Tswapong. Last year he also participated in the same competitions in Kasane and he also got all the positions that matter; one, two and three. 

“It is clear I do not have competition in the country, therefore I need an international challenge,” he said assertively. 

Selato however explained that just like any other small business, his is faced with challenges such as transport to reach his potential market, which included safari camps in the bushes. He also experiences the challenge of failure to deliver on time due to the fact that he works alone. 

Selato’s dream is to go to school and learn more about bottle cutting as well as to learn about other machines that could be used to cut bottles. 

 He said that he has already approached the Department of Tertiary Education and other companies to assist him with sponsorship. He added that he has not yet applied for youth grant because he wants to learn more about his work first so that he can prudently use the grant when he obtains the funds. 

“I don’t want to obtain the youth grant before I acquire full knowledge on bottle cutting” he said. 

His other dream is to open a bottle cutting factory that will be able to produce on a large scale as well as to create employment for other youths. He also wants to be able to export the bottle cut-offs to a South African glass manufacturing company for further recycling. 

 He opines that if youth can think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas, the country’s economy would diversify. For instance, he said people should learn not to throw away things such as cattle bones that might generate income for them. 

 He added that many people have great business ideas, but the problem is that they are impatient and unable to stand for challenges that come with establishing a business, which impatience leads to their businesses failing before they can even start. ENDS