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Whether it’s because they want to do their bit to help save the planet or they see it as an opportunity to make an income, South Africans are recycling more than ever before.
According to the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (PRASA), the annual paper recovery rate has increased by 2% year-on-year since 2012 and is currently at 68.4%. PET Recycling Company (PETCO) reports that plastic bottle recycled tonnage has grown by 822% since 2005%.
These figures point to a growing awareness of recycling, but more importantly they show that South Africans are taking action and making a concerted effort to do the right thing.
These efforts, however, only address the tip of the ‘waste-berg’. The Department of Environmental Affairs reports that less than 20% of waste is recycled annually, meaning most of the country’s recyclable materials continues to go to landfill.
Why recycle?
There are tangible benefits to be derived from recycling.
Mpact Recycling managing director, John Hunt, says while the country’s citizens may have a general understanding of the benefits of recycling, they may not realise just how much good they are doing.
“The environmental impact of recycling is enormous. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ South African Waste Information Centre, more than 19.2 million tonnes of general waste and one million tonnes of hazardous waste went to South Africa’s 133 landfill sites in 2017. We are running out of landfill space in South Africa. In 2016, three landfill sites were closed in Pretoria. These are sites that were meant to have an additional lifespan of about 25 years”.
This means that every item that is recycled is one less item going to the country’s strained landfill sites. Less waste to landfill means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately less of a negative impact on the environment. By recycling waste, South Africans are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
He says recycling also helps to address some of the country’s social ills such as unemployment and poverty. “Recycling has helped create work opportunities for more than 100 000 people, according to PRASA.
“In line with this, Mpact Recycling has helped establish 45 buy-back centres in Gauteng alone. This includes eight new buy-back centres that were set up in Soweto, Tembisa and Boksburg last year. The programme provides work opportunities for about 1,000 people on a regular basis through the collection of recyclables.”
Hunt points out that recycling needs to remain economically viable. “The industry needs the support of various stakeholders to succeed and recycle in greater quantities.”
Mpact Recycling, which is a leading paper recycler in South Africa, collects approximately 630,000 tonnes per annum of recovered paper and plastic. The paper goes to the Mpact Group’s paper mills for processing into recycled-based cartonboard and containerboard and the PET bottles go to its recycled PET (rPET) plant – Mpact Polymers – for producing recycled PET bottles.
Can technology help?
Technology can play a critical role in increasing the amount and type of materials that can be recycled.
Hunt says Mpact Polymers, which was opened in May 2016, can process 29,000 tonnes of used PET bottles into 21,000 tonnes of rPET for food and beverage packaging products every year.
“In addition, we launched a liquid packaging plant at our Springs-based mill last year, which recycles used milk and juice cartons, amongst others. The plant is expected to recycle 25,000 tonnes of liquid packaging products annually and create more than 500 income generating opportunities for entrepreneurs and traders.”
The more South Africa invests in technology for recycling, the less waste there will be to go to landfill, which brings Hunt back to his earlier point: “Public-private partnerships are necessary to boost recycling activities in South Africa and ensure we find sustainable solutions to reducing waste, create jobs and protecting our beautiful country,” he concludes.
About Mpact:
Mpact is one of the leading paper and plastics packaging businesses in southern Africa, listed on the JSE’s Main Board in the Industrial - Paper and Packaging sector. The Group has leading market positions in southern Africa in recovered paper collection, corrugated packaging, recycled-based cartonboard and containerboard, polyethylene-terephthalate (“PET”) preforms, recycled PET (“rPET”), styrene trays and plastic jumbo bins. These leading market positions allow Mpact to meet the increasing requirements of its customers and achieve economies of scale and cost effectiveness at the various operations.
Mpact has 41 operating sites, of which 21 are manufacturing operations, in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. Sales in South Africa account for approximately 90% of Mpact’s total revenue for the current year while the balance was predominantly to customers in the rest of Africa.
As at 31 December 2017, Mpact employed 4,889 people.
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