Chauke replaces long-standing CEO Scholtz, who has helmed the organisation since its incorporation in 2004 and led its successful transition from voluntary to government-legislated mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR), which came into effect in 2021.
The EPR regulations require that producers in the paper and packaging sector – brand owners, retailers and importers – discharge their obligations individually or collectively by joining a PRO to take responsibility for the full life cycle of their post-consumer packaging, so that it does not end up in the environment or landfill.
Experienced sustainability specialist Chauke joined Petco as CEO designate in September last year, beginning a strategic, planned leadership handover for one of the country’s longest standing and most successful PROs.
She is the former chief sustainability officer for the Coega Development Corporation and was the specialist on environment, climate change and sustainability policies for the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) for 10 years prior to that.
“We are exceptionally pleased to have someone of Telly’s calibre on board in this role, as she brings a wealth of experience in navigating the public policy space,” said Scholtz.
“But, more than that, as a climate and environmental scientist, she brings a unique additional skill set to the role. I leave Petco in very capable hands.”
Scholtz was part of the industry-led team that kickstarted a voluntary mechanism for collection and recycling of PET in South Africa. The result was Petco, which developed a sustainable collection and recycling funding model almost two decades before the landscape of post-consumer packaging was legislated by government.
During Scholtz’s tenure, Petco surpassed its medium-term goal to collect and recycle 50% of post-consumer PET beverage bottles by 2015. Collection for recycling grew from approximately 10,000 tonnes per annum to over 90,000 tonnes, which represented an increase of more 600% when considering the growth in the volume of PET placed onto the market during this time.