As a manufacturer, Namibia Breweries is concerned about the impact of pollution on the environment and has forged partnerships with various public and private sector players.
During our latest initiative, the pooling of resources by a divers group of partners resulted in the delivery of beverage cans and bottles by the Katima Mulilo based Ku Na Ni Musebesi Project, to Cape Town in South Africa, for recycling.
The name of the project is derived from the NBL “Opuna Iilonga” environmental Campaign which translated in English means “there is work to be done” with an appeal to keep Namibia clean. The partners in this venture, NEO Paints, Nampower, Collect-a-can, Move-a-mess, the Glass Recycling Company, Namibia Breweries Ltd, Etosha Transport, Coimbra OK Foods, and the Katima Mulilo Town Council all had one vision – that of cleaning up the town of Katima Mulilo.
The Katima Mulilo project was initiated in 2006 when Namibia Breweries, the Glass Recycling Company and Collect-a-can joined forces with the Katima Mulilo Town Council in an effort to establish a recycling venture as a means of addressing some of the town’s waste management problems.
Speaking at the arrival of the first consignment of recyclables from Katima Mulilo, the Chairman of NBL, Mr. Sven Thieme, applauded the sponsors for their stake in setting the Ku Na Ni Musebesi recycling project in motion, and appealed to them to continue investing behind such community driven initiatives, which not only preserves the natural beauty of our country, but also provides opportunities for job creation.
Joint Effort
The expertise of Move-a-mess was solicited to train project members in recycling, and set up the operation which entails the collection and compressing of cans and crushing and packaging of glass bottles. The containment of crushed glass was made possible through the donation of large drums by NEO Paints and Nampower. With the cooperation of Coimbra OK Foods and Etosha Transport, these materials were loaded and transported from Katima Mulilo to Cape Town for recycling.  Although recycling creates an opportunity for income generation by the unemployed, the distance and resultant cost, would not make it a viable venture from Katima Mulilo without the support of the above mentioned various stakeholders. 
The first consignment of glass and cans arrived in Windhoek, en route to Cape Town, on 10 September 2007, and it is anticipated that the second load will follow before the end of September.
The Katima Mulilo initiatives is one of many were Namibia Breweries supports the preservation of our environment. The Company fully subscribes to the national philosophy to protect the environment and natural heritage of Namibia’s people.
Namibia Breweries views the proper management and education on issues surrounding pollution, waste management and the conservation of the environment as critical to avert the destruction and erosion of the fragile Namibian surroundings. Namibia Breweries also supports numerous clean-up campaigns throughout the country, while we ensure that our waste products are disposed of responsibly and reused where possible.
For more information, contact Patricia Hoeksema at 320 4074 or patricia.hoeksema@olfitra.com.na

(F.l.t.r.) – Henry de Wee, Willem Coetzee (Etosha Transport), Johan van Wyk (MD - Move-a-Mess), Patricia Hoeksema (NBL), Johan Hough (Nampower), Heiko Niedemeier (MD - Neo Paints), Sven Thieme (NBL Chairman), Ronnie Varkevisser (Collect-a-Can), Benita Conteh and Gideon Shilongo (NBL).