EVERY bottle left behind by tourists in Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands presents a challenge — not because it cannot be recycled, but because transporting it for processing costs far more than the glass is worth.
To help tackle that problem, Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), in partnership with Cresta Hotels, has donated a glass crusher to the Juliasdale Community Recycling Group, enabling volunteers to reduce transport costs while keeping one of Zimbabwe's premier tourism destinations clean.
For years, the community group has collected glass, plastic and aluminium waste around Juliasdale and Nyanga. However, recycling has remained financially unsustainable, with one tonne of glass earning just US$12 while costing about US$70 to transport to Harare.
"Glass is heavy and is a financial loss leader for those collecting it for recycling. You can get US$12 for one tonne of glass, but it costs US$70 to travel in a car from Juliasdale to Harare," the Juliasdale Community Recycling Group said during a recent media tour.
"We are grateful for this donation from Rainbow Tourism Group and Cresta Hotels of a glass crusher, which allows us to crush all the glass we collect so that it can be transported more efficiently to Harare. We will still lose money, but we will lose less."
The donation reflects growing recognition within Zimbabwe's hospitality industry that protecting tourism destinations requires investment in the communities that help preserve them.
"It is imperative that we work to keep plastic out of our landfills. Since humans are using plastic, humans must also work on the solutions," the community group said.
"The first step is to avoid plastic — especially single-use plastic — where possible. Bring a reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. Buy a reusable metal bottle and refill it with drinking water. The next step is to ensure that all the plastic we consume is recycled."
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The group collects, sorts, cleans and bales recyclable plastic before transporting it for processing.
However, it said Zimbabwe currently recycles only two of the seven types of plastic commonly used in the country.
"The only other place recycling the remaining five types of plastic is Ele-Collection in Victoria Falls," the group said.
"We are therefore actively looking for transport companies to carry our baled plastic from Juliasdale to Victoria Falls."
According to the community group, all glass and aluminium collected in Zimbabwe is ultimately recycled in South Africa because the country lacks sufficient local processing facilities, highlighting the need for greater private-sector investment and supportive government policies to develop domestic recycling capacity.
Following its acquisition of Montclair Resort & Conference Centre — its first property in the Eastern Highlands — RTG has increasingly incorporated community partnerships into its sustainability strategy, recognising that clean environments are essential to the tourism experience.
Last year, the group invested US$75 000 in community development initiatives, equivalent to 3% of profit after tax. The funding supported health institutions and orphanages across Zimbabwe as part of its broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) programme.
"Sustainability remains central to Rainbow Tourism Group's long-term value creation strategy, with ESG principles embedded across operations, capital investments and governance structures," RTG chairperson Douglas Hoto said.
The group has also expanded resource-efficiency initiatives across its hotels through its Green Stays programme, reducing energy, water and chemical consumption. Hotel refurbishments now incorporate low-flow flushing systems that reduce water use by up to 30% per flush, while smart key-card technology helps cut electricity consumption in guest rooms.
RTG said it remained optimistic about its outlook for the 2026 financial year.
"This positive outlook is underpinned by the Group's diversified hospitality portfolio, ongoing product enhancement initiatives, and continued focus on innovation aimed at strengthening customer experience and driving sustainable growth," the company said in its first-quarter trading update.
