WCW: Belinda Putterill talks inspiration and innovation in the recycling sector
A true KwaZulu-Natal girl who describes herself as tom-boyish but a lady at heart.
This week, Carol Ofori celebrates a woman who calls herself a true KwaZulu-Natal girl. Belinda Putterill is the Managing Director of USE-IT Waste Beneficiation.
As a single mom, she has raised a 20-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son. Her kids give her joy and motivate her to get up every day.
Born in Pietermaritzburg, grew up in Colenso, matriculated 1988 in Ladysmith so a true KwaZulu Natal girl. My mom is the foundation that formed me and built my grit and strength of character, my biggest fan and cheerleader! My sister my conscious and a role model of strength through kindness and consistency. My hobbies are fishing, golf, and binge-watching docuseries. A bit of a tom boy but a lady at heart.
They say you can tell a lot about a person by talking to the people they work with, and it was so wonderful to read the uplifting words about Belinda on the USE-IT Facebook page.
"Her leadership has transformed our vision into reality, championing sustainability and inspiring our team to strive for excellence daily.
"Belinda joined Use-IT as an Administration and Office manager in October 2016. She has been a beacon of innovation and hope in our Hammarsdale facility and the waste beneficiation sector. She was appointed as Operations Manager in August 2019 through hard work and exceptional leadership skills. Under her leadership as Managing Director, we've achieved remarkable milestones, from expanding our recycling facilities to launching cutting-edge eco-friendly initiatives and partnerships. Her visionary approach has transformed our business and positively impacted our environment, the community of Hammarsdale and its surroundings."
Belinda shared that she has always been passionate about the environment. Although she loves her work at USE-IT, social responsibility and community engagement excite her the most.
She shared that working on the ground with communities gives her purpose and drives her to do more, especially since she has witnessed the impact of their work on the ground.
When asked about her proudest moment, she shared that being a single mother working full-time brings her pride. Putterill shared that the best advice she ever received was from her mother, who told her not to look back at her past mistakes as failures but as lessons from which you can grow.
After all her achievements, she says her biggest challenge was self-doubt. Many of her peers come from a specialised educational background, and seeing herself as meeting their standards has always been difficult, but she is happy to say that her peers look to her as their equal.
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Image Courtesy of Facebook