HACO Industries Ltd has unveiled its Recycled Rulers initiative that offers sustainable learning aid solutions to students, teaching staff, and schools as the school year begin.
HACO Rulers have been a critical learning tool in Kenya’s education system for over 30 years supporting the effective delivery of educational curriculum and teaching methods.
The company recycles 16 tonnes of plastic in a day including plastic bottles and caps used to package key products such as Amara Lotions and Deodorants, Ace Cleaners, Pegs, and Rulers.
In doing so, HACO manufactures its own product packaging, by actively engaging in a circular manufacturing process that ensures zero waste in production.
These recycled rulers are a by-product of the waste produced from the manufacture of the company’s packaging material. They are ground into regrinds which are then fed into an injection molding machine for reshaping into the requisite ruler size. They are consequently scaled to provide the measurements found in newly manufactured rulers, differentiated by a distinguishable tint acquired from the recycling process, and guarantee the same quality.
HACO Industries Ltd Managing Director, Ms. Mary-Ann Musangi spoke of the company’s plan to expand the Recycled Rulers Programme to yield more sustainable solutions.
‘Our Education Programme is part of our larger sustainability agenda. It endeavors to drive awareness of practical solutions and measures toward climate change mitigation in schools, through partnerships with Government, Academia, and relevant organizations.
We need to seed these ideas in young people early in life from their homes and in schools. It is important for them to understand the value of recycling and the dangers of poorly discarded plastic waste to our collective health and the environment. We are putting in place a plan to collect broken rulers from different schools and bring them back to our factories for recycling and redistribution.”
She added that the objective of this initiative is to bolster national efforts to educate and raise awareness on environmental conservation and waste management, through teaching sustainability at schools.
‘The country has embarked on various efforts to mitigate climate change, and as key players in industrialization, we are boosting these efforts by engendering sustainable learning practices. This will also ensure that sustainability and proper waste management are part of conversations and teaching in schools and other learning platforms. We call upon other partners who are in the education, waste management, and sustainability space to join us in this initiative because sustainability is only possible through collaboration.
