Our Story
It all began with a conversation. How can we get rid of the plastic that is harming our home? Two years ago, the members of Ele-Collection put their heads together, searching for solutions that could drain all the plastic that is entering Victoria Falls and lock it away for good. No simple solution could be found.
A while later, on the 8th of October, 2021, a much loved anti-poaching ranger, Clever Kapandura, was trampled by an elephant. This sent shockwaves through the entire Victoria Falls community. Only two weeks later, Simon Teede (Business Operations Director) and Larry Norton were attacked by an enraged bull elephant while on a run along the Batoka Gorge. They narrowly survived this inexplicable attack and we began to wonder what could cause a wild elephant to behave so aggressively and out of character.
Several days after that incident, yet another resident of Victoria Falls was killed by an angry elephant. Sadly, the bull was shot and vets performed an autopsy searching for the cause of this animal's strange behaviour. It did not take the vets long to discover that the poor elephant had a stomach full of plastic. Local herds were coming into town to consume our food waste, getting poisoned by plastic and going mad. It was time to take action.
With a new sense of urgency, we soon discovered the plastic to aggregate solution and our journey began. Gradually the team grew and Ele-Collection found its feet. Many organizations and individuals contributed their time and guidance to bring our dream into reality. Today we stand before you with a solution to end this crisis. With your help — we can put an end to plastic.
The Team
Get to Know the Faces behind Ele-Collection
Simon Teede
Business Operations Director
Rainer von Urff-Kaufeld
Technical Director
Ben Norton
Collections Director
Heinrich von Pezold
Chairman Of The Board