WRAPPING UP THE YEAR

WRAPPING UP THE YEAR

A wider consciousness of our environment is leading many consumers to be more aware of not only what they are consuming, but also the packaging it comes in. This has resulted in more manufacturers following a sustainable approach to packaging. In turn, the packaging industry has itself had to be at the forefront of recycling efforts. The paper packaging industry, in particular, contributes the most to consumption, but leads the way in material collected for recycling.

Glass continues to lead the way in terms of the percentage of waste redirected from landfills to be recycled. “Through the returnable system in conjunction with recycling, glass is the packaging that is most diverted from landfill in our country. South Africa has one of the most sophisticated returnable systems in the world, by reusing glass packaging, carbon emissions are reduced significantly,” proudly states the Glass Recycling Company’ website.

On the plastics front, in their annual report for 2020/2021, Plastics SA noted that the Covid-19 pandemic saw the need for more packaging as greater attention was paid to hygiene and food safety standards, a trend that may continue for years to come as the virus shows little signs of slowing down.

43.04 BILLION UNITS BY 2025

(total packaging industry production)

19 MILLION TONNES IN 15 YEARS (paper and paper packaging diverted from landfills)

2% COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE

This year saw changes to regulations around extended producer responsibility (EPR) programmes for paper producers, under Section 18 of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. The guidelines, promulgated by Minister Barbara Creecy in May, require producers to belong to an EPR scheme and pay a fee.

“The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries developed the Packaging Guideline: Recyclability by Design for packaging and paper in South Africa, in collaboration with Industry and in terms of section 6(1) (a) of the National Environmental Management Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008). The main purpose of this Guideline is to reduce the volume of packaging ending up in landfill sites by improving product design, increasing quality of production practices and promoting waste prevention,” reads the government notice by the Minister.

PACKAGING MATERIAL COLLECTED FOR RECYCLING

9 million tonnes in 15 years (paper and paper packaging diverted from landfills)

43.04 billion units by 2025 (total packaging industry production)

2% Compound Annual Growth Rate

PLASTIC RECYCLING

97 260 tonnes recyclate into new packaging11% recycled plastic used for flexible packaging22% recycled plastic used for inflexible packaging

GLASS RECYCLING IN SOUTH AFRICA

4017 - Glass banks44% - Glass recycled3303 - Glass entrepreneurs trained80% - Glass kept from landfills2.3 million - Glass bottles recycled (schools competition)50 000 - Income opportunities created

(Glass recycling figures from GlassRecycling Company)

PAPER PACKAGING PRODUCTION

In 2019, the Paper ManufacturersAssociation of South Africa (PASMA)recorded 1 463 000 tonnes ofpackaging papers produced.

Linerboard: 791 000 tonnesFluting: 505 000 tonnesFolding, boxboard 87 000Other 69 000 tonnes

(Production numbers in 2019)

SOURCES reportlinker.com thepaperstory.co.za fibrecircle.co.za plasticsinfo.co.za theglassrecyclingcompany.co.za

(Source: Recycle Paper ZA and Reportlinker)

(Source: Recycle Paper ZA andReportlinker)

(Plastic SA figures from 2020)