Stellenbosch University
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Former Matie's recycling company is a winner
Author: Development & Alumni/Ontwikkeling & Alumni-betrekkinge
Published: 04/08/2016

From setting up recycling in residences at Stellenbosch University (SU) to being chief executive officer of an award-winning waste recycling company - meet SU alumnus, Matthew Haden, who is hard at work tackling waste management challenges in Tanzania.

Haden's company, The Recycler, was recently awarded the prestigious Sankalp Africa Award, beating out over 250 other African enterprises. These awards recognise the most sustainable and scalable social enterprises that are doing business. Sankalp is Asia's largest social enterprise forum designed to support the growth of social enterprises and catalyse impact investments.

The Recycler was started in 2014 and offers professional waste management and recycling solutions for waste streams in Tanzania. It specialises in separating all kinds of recyclable waste in order to process and trade to domestic and international markets. The company has also set up recycling collection points throughout Dar es Salaamand   is developing projects in large-scale bio-gas, waste to energy, insect-derived protein and informal collection networks. According to Haden, they have over 20 staff members and 40 clients.

"It is nice to be recognised, not just as a social impact venture, but also as a business that people would like to invest in," he says.

Haden is originally from Kansas in the United States but called Stellenbosch home for over four years. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 2011 and went on to do his Masters' Degree in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge.Matthew_Haden.jpg

"I came to South Africa for the first time in 2004 when I was 19, but just to travel and work with street children. However, I came back in 2008 to start my studies," he says.

So why did he choose Stellenbosch University? "I choose to become a Matie because I wanted to study in an emerging economy and Stellenbosch had a great course for international relations. It is also incredibly beautiful."

Haden remembers his time in Stellenbosch fondly and says he is grateful for his experiences and the path it ultimately took him on. "I lived in Kayamandi for two years working with the community. I was also elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC) where I was in charge of the Societies Council and Environmental Affairs. I helped set up the first large-scale recycling system in the residences whilst a SRC member and learned about waste management and recycling as a business," he says.

After graduating from Stellenbosch, he went to work with a recycling company in Cape Town, the same company that was collecting the recyclables from the system that was set up for the residences.  "I did that for nine months, learning the business and then went on to do my Masters at Cambridge. When I graduated from Cambridge I went to work with the United Nations in Tanzania. After about a year, I saw the huge potential for a recycling company in Tanzania and decided to give it a go."

So what is next for this successful businessman? "The Recycler is currently breeding thousands of maggots using organic waste in order to make chicken feed and is expanding into large-scale bio-gas and waste to energy. We are also setting up a buy-back centre for the city's poorest to sell recyclable waste to us per kilogramme."