SA Plastics Pact launches roadmap to 2025

The South African Plastics Pact has launched its official roadmap – a document that outlines the key activities and outcomes to be achieved by 2025.

The SA Plastics Pact, which was launched in January 2020, brings together national government, businesses, municipalities, product responsibility organisations (PROs), the informal and formal waste sectors, nongovernment organisations, and other key organisations within the plastics value chain behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastics and to address plastic waste and pollution at its source.

The pact forms part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network and follows similar commitments from the UK, France, Chile and the Netherlands. Although each pact sets out its own unique goal, the global pact has collective targets that cover five key areas:

• eliminating unnecessary and problematic single-use plastic packaging

• making sure all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable

• significantly increasing the collection and recycling of plastic packaging

• increasing recycled content in plastic packaging to drive demand for recycled material

• becoming members of relevant PROs.

Being the first of its kind in Africa, the pact is committed to reducing plastic usage by making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

The roadmap, which was launched in October 2020, outlines key objectives in regard to what the members and supporters of the pact will do to deliver the targets, with key outcomes in two interim milestones (mid-2021 and end 2023), and finally at the end of 2025.

Actions for all targets

By 2025, all members of the SA Plastics Pact commit to meeting all five targets as set out by the global pact. Through the roadmap, there are various activities and tools that can be implemented to make progress towards achieving these targets.

The SA Plastics Pact sets out the following targets:

1. Act against problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery models.

2. 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.

3. 70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled.

4. 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.

In order to achieve these 2025 targets, the roadmap explores some key activities that need to take place at each of the stages (targets).

Identifying problematic plastic packaging

The goal of the first target is to put together a list of problematic and/or unnecessary plastic packaging and items, which essentially need to be ‘designed out’. This will be done through the establishment of an action group, which will be responsible for identifying these problematic plastics and then effectively design models to address these by mid-2021. This list will not only be available to members, but the pact will also develop external guidance for members and non-members to act.

Other key focus areas include setting up a strategy for those problematic materials that cannot be eliminated or replaced in the current market – e.g. some PVC formats/flexible multilayers in packaging. They will also strive to improve our understanding of the environmental impact of these material choices, including the role of plastic packaging in preventing food waste and the opportunity to innovate. This will be done through workshops and discussions.

Reusable and recyclable packaging

recyclable or compostable in practice and at scale, considering both the design and the afteruse side. The second target sets out to ensure that 100% of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The pact plans to achieve this by: • developing ‘design for recycling’ and polymer choice guidance for retailers, brands, food service members, which align with existing guidance where possible

• develop guidance for on-pack recycling labels that aligns with the SA Plastics Pact Guidance and national packaging guidelines

• members and supporters will then implement the design guidance in their businesses and supply chains

• disseminate design guidance to non-members

• agree on actions needed to address any ‘unrecyclable’ items or packs

• disseminate best practice in reuse/refill business models to members.

Developing sound methodology

Target 3 sets out to ensure that 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled by 2025. Some key objectives that will be focused on include the development of methodology and approach for the unified reporting on South African recycling rates. The pact will also focus on stimulating investment in infrastructure and systems to drive progress and on assessing the current and required recycling capacity South Africa needs to meet these targets.

A mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme will be developed and formalised by government, including ambitious targets for recycling rates and recycled content in packaging. Programmes and initiatives that support the informal waste sector and lead to increased jobs, improved gender diversity and dignity will also be introduced.

The pact also plans to collaborate with others on citizen engagement campaigns and messages (e.g. Plastics|SA).

Averaging out

The last target is focussed on the greater use of recycled plastics in packaging (primary, secondary and tertiary). The goal is to achieve 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging. Retailers and brands will be required to specify recycled content in new products where possible.

The pact will also engage with government on setting annual recycled content targets in plastic packaging in the proposed EPR regulations.

Target 4 also plans to increase demand for recycled plastic in existing and new packaging applications and sectors. In addition, it will also focus on:

• improved understanding of the benefits of using recycled content

• compelling case studies to showcase best practice (e.g. increased use of clear aPET)

• increased capacity of plastics recycling in

South Africa to generate sufficient recycled material to meet the target

• inclusive (informal-formal integration) separation-at-source programmes to be developed countrywide

• more funding made available to recyclers to improve the quality of recyclate

• consumer education to help them understand benefits of products and packaging made with recycled material.

The roadmap states, “Achieving the targets will bring huge benefits for South Africa; however, it will require hard decisions to be made, significant investment and some compromises. The roadmap is a living document and will evolve in future versions.”