South Africa’s Plastic Recycling Rate Thrived to Reach 42% in 2016

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Plastics SA, the trade body that represents the plastics industry in South Africa has published a new survey report which points out significant jump in collection and recycling volume of plastics during 2016.

The survey for the period ending December 2016 suggests that there was a growing awareness about recycling among general public, which in turn resulted in growing tonnages of collected and recycled plastics. The dedicated efforts by large number of organizations and consumer groups provided much-needed boost to upstream collection efforts.

According to the report, a total of 1.144 million tons of recyclable plastics entered the country’s waste streams during the previous year. Out of this the country recycled around 478,000 tons, translating to a recycling rate of 41.8%. The recycling rate recorded a rise of 5.9% over the previous year. Incidentally, the recycling tonnages in the country have surged higher by nearly 35% over the five-year period leading to 2016. South Africa had 204 active recyclers as at the end of 2016, offering nearly 6,100 permanent jobs and almost 52,000 informal jobs, including waste pickers and collectors.

Flexible packaging industry was the primary consumer of recyclates, accounting for nearly 20% of the total recyclates. The survey reveals that HDPE and LDPE were mainly utilized for manufacturing carrier bags. The second largest market for recyclates was the clothing and footwear industry, which consumed approximately 18% of total recyclates. Recycled PETS were mainly used by the industry for making apparels, shoe soles and gumboots. Recycled rigid packaging accounted for 15% of recyclates market. The other main consumers of recycled plastics were agricultural sector and furniture sectors.

The Plastics SA survey report calls for increased participation by local government authorities and NGOs in order to ensure that waste separation is done at source itself. It also recommends imparting greater awareness of recycling through public campaigns and education. In addition, all stakeholders of waste and recycling industry must work in closer co-operation to take recycling rates to greater heights.

The report concludes by highlighting the need to create more demand for recycled materials, through better and effective education and public awareness campaigns.