Play Your Part: Brian Skosana tackles the plastic crisis one box at a time

Single-use plastic is one of the biggest contributors to the global plastic crisis. 

The South African government is considering a total ban on single-use plastic to help protect the environment. 

The Department of Environmental Affairs' Mark Gordon told parliament earlier this year that they are looking at the "availability of an alternative" to everyday plastics like straws and earbuds. 

According to Get Green Now, plastic bottles can take up to 1,000 years to degrade and release toxic chemicals into the environment during the process. 

One person determined to help play his part in curbing the use of plastic is Brian Skosana.  

He founded the Water in a Box NPO in 2018 in a bid to help revolutionise the way the South African market consumes bottled water.

The packaging for his boxed water is made entirely of biodegradable and recyclable material. 

He has also partnered with Career Buddy and donates 15% of every purchase to help with career coaching and guidance at underprivileged schools and communities. 

Brand South Africa has recognised Brian Skosana’s contributions to the planet and his community by making him an official ‘ Play Your Part ’ ambassador. 

The nationwide programme aims to inspire, empower, and celebrate active citizenship in SA.

It's been less than a year since you started your NPO. What are some of the challenges and success stories you can tell us about?

We are fairly new as we just started the NPO six months ago. I would say the start-up itself has been fairly challenging. I would say our biggest success so far is seeing the product in people’s hands and seeing the excitement of buying a product that gives back is very rewarding.

What more can SA businesses do to play their part in addressing the plastic crisis? 

I think just being made aware of the alternative products that aren’t plastic. Education is key and corporates don’t know yet about these alternative products. Many of these companies we have found have been actively looking for substitute or reusable products.

South Africans reportedly use 30kg and 50kg of plastic per person every year, what can customers do to play their part in their everyday life? 

I firmly believe that starting small is really important and just being conscious of finding reusable or alternative material to that of plastic. We need to create a sustainable future for the youth even if it is making small changes like drinking water from a biodegradable box.

Where do you see ‘Water in a Box’ in five years? 

I would like to see the Water in a Box brand in every retailer and common space available. We would love to collaborate with current companies that don’t use biodegradable materials. It’s a journey I look forward to especially with such a great partner and brand like Career Buddy.

READ: Brand SA's #PlayYourPart campaign celebrates ordinary South Africans doing great things