South Africa: How PCR policies are shaping regional sustainability
by Verity Anipa at 07:51 in Circular Economy, Environmental, Packaging

In Part One of this blog series, we explored how Australia is using post-consumer recycled (PCR) content policies to drive progress toward a circular packaging economy. Now moving over to Africa, South Africa has taken significant steps to integrate recycled content into packaging regulations. Through a combination of mandatory requirements and voluntary industry collaboration, South Africa is building a framework that not only reduces reliance on virgin materials but also strengthens local recycling systems. These measures are shaping how businesses design packaging and source materials, while setting an important precedent for circular economy policy across the African continent.

South African Plastics Pact

The South African Plastics Pact, launched in 2020, represents a voluntary collaboration between industry and government to accelerate the transition toward a circular plastics economy. Members of the Pact must adhere to four targets which are designed to help target a component of the plastic packaging target chain. Target 4 in particular introduces measures to ensure that all plastic packaging placed on the market contains an average of 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content by 2025. Things that have been highlighted under this include:

• All members that are part of the South African Plastics Pact would be required to ensure they have recycled materials in their products and packaging to help meet the targets.
• Development of procurement guidelines which would include recycled content and help increase the demand and enhance credibility.
• Supports initiatives to scale local PCR supply, improve design for recyclability.

Progress has been good, with members reporting an average of 24% recycled content in 2023 which is a significant step toward the target. While participation is voluntary, the Plastics Pact is helping to create industry alignment and momentum ahead of regulatory measures, positioning South Africa as a frontrunner for recycled content integration on the continent.

South Africa EPR Regulations

EPR in South Africa became mandatory from May 2021, applying to obligated producers and importers of packaging materials who must pay EPR fees, join or establish EPR schemes. The EPR framework includes specific recycled content targets for several packaging types. The targets are expressed as a percentage of the total mass and increase incrementally over the first five years of an EPR scheme:

• Glass packaging: rising from 20% to 50%
• PET beverage bottles: 10% to 20%
  
• Other flexible PET: 10% to 20%
• Rigid polyolefin plastics: 7% to 20%
• Single-use plastics: 8% to 20%
  

Overall, progress under South Africa's EPR framework has been steady, with clear year-on-year increases in recycled content requirements pushing producers to adapt. While challenges remain in scaling local recycling capacity, the combination of mandatory targets and industry action marks an important step toward embedding PCR content in the country's packaging system.

Next steps

Together, the South African Plastics Pact and the EPR regulations highlight how the country is embedding PCR content into both voluntary and mandatory frameworks. By combining industry collaboration with legally binding targets, South Africa is sending a clear signal that recycled content will be central to the future of packaging. These measures not only help to strengthen domestic recycling markets but also create opportunities for businesses to innovate, adapt, and lead in the shift toward a circular packaging economy across Africa.

The shift not only reduces environmental impact but also creates opportunities for leadership in sustainable packaging. Curious about how these changes may affect your packaging strategy?

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