More collaboration is needed to end plastic waste in South Africa

By Patricia Pillay, CEO Polyco

AS a registered Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) under national government’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, Polyco is working with its over 650 members to ensure there is accountability for the end-of-life plastic packaging, through various collection and recycling initiatives. So far, these initiatives have supported the development of over 300 000 tons of additional recycling capacity in the sector.

However, this would not have been possible without partnerships with key stakeholders. Over the past few months, in collaboration with the Buffalo City Metro Municipality (BCMM), the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Development Agency (BCMDA), we officially handed over new static Packa-Ching buy-back recycling centres in Amalinda, Mdantsane and Qonce to the communities, with more to come by the end of the year.

Our Packa-Ching programme operates in under-resourced communities without separation-at-source infrastructure. Community members (waste reclaimers in particular) are paid for the recyclable packaging material (such as plastics, glass, metal and board) they collect and drop off at the Packa-Ching centres. In doing so, they are provided with crucial revenue streams while reducing the amount of recyclable plastic in landfills.

Our collaborations have also stretched to the private sector to encourage recycling on a consumer level. In March, we launched state-of-the-art reverse recycling vending machines in partnership with Pick ‘n Pay. The machines, which collect plastic packaging in return for vouchers, provided shoppers a brief snapshot of the waste-reclaiming process that happens every day in communities across the country.

However, in reality, waste reclaimers endure harsh environments and travel vast distances to acquire and transport their recyclable goods. In a country that has limited separation at source infrastructure, waste reclaimers play a key role in collecting recyclables and bolstering the circular economy.

With many Packa-Ching units nationwide, the initiative has achieved a 20-million kilogram collection and recycling milestone, with over R20-million paid to local communities to support individuals, families and local businesses in the area.

Considering the benefit that our partnership with the Buffalo City Municipality has yielded so far, it is imperative that municipalities do more to promote local separation at source efforts through partnerships with the industry and other stakeholders. Our partnership with Buffalo City is just the first step in building our network of partner municipalities to increase the collection of recyclables. If we are to achieve our goal of eliminating plastic waste in South Africa, this partnership model will need to be replicated across the country. In short, we need more partnerships with our municipalities.

At a national level, more needs to be done to invest in recycling infrastructure, provide tax incentives and educate the general populace on the importance of recycling to the environment and the value of their waste.

Polyco will continue collaborating with its members, government and other stakeholders to develop the country’s recycling capacity through innovation, education and financial support. We are looking forward to working with the new Minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, to end plastic waste while supporting SA’s economy and creating jobs. In the meantime, we celebrate all the recycling heroes of South Africa. Most importantly, the waste-reclaimers, working in our communities to recycle valuable plastic, and in doing so, reclaiming waste from our lands, rivers and oceans.

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