Food processing and packaging solutions company, Tetra Pak Southern Africa, on Friday said South Africa’s recycling circular economy was making commendable progress, but there were significant opportunities for growth and improvement.
The carton manufacturer’s managing director for the region, Klaus Plenge, said the sector has shown notable advancements in recycling rates and infrastructure development, driven by increased awareness and collaborative efforts among businesses, government and communities.
“What stands out is the growing involvement of major companies, such as Tetra Pak, in supporting and enhancing recycling initiatives, which has led to improvements in collection and processing capabilities of liquid board packaging (LBP),” Plenge said.
Tetra Pak said that to improve recycling outcomes, it was essential to educate the end consumer from the start of the recycling value chain. This included raising public awareness about the importance of avoiding littering and properly segregating waste into organic and inorganic categories. By working together across both public and private sectors, the country could drive more effective waste management practices and enhance recycling efforts.
Plenge said that to boost the prospects of the recycling sector and, by extension, the broader local economy, several key actions were needed.
These included investing in advanced recycling facilities and collection systems crucial for improving efficiency and capacity, and expanding educational programmes to increase public awareness about the benefits of recycling and proper waste management practices, such as segregation of organic and inorganic waste that can drive higher participation rates.
Plenge said collaboration between businesses, government bodies and non-governmental organisations could help streamline processes and implement effective recycling programmes. He said encouraging innovation in recycling technologies and processes could lead to more efficient and effective recycling solutions.
“These actions will contribute to a more robust recycling sector, create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth within the local economy.”
The business recently announced that it has significantly increased the recycling rate of LBP to over 20% by the middle of this year. It said this growth has been driven by strategic partnerships and collaborations. The company said it was aiming to achieve a recycling collection rate of 28% by the end of the year, demonstrating its rapid progress towards its ambition of 40% by 2030.
Reflecting on the treble growth, Tetra Pak’s sustainability manager, Masale Manoko, emphasised the crucial role of collaboration in achieving their sustainability goals.
“The significant increase in growth this year highlights the effectiveness of our key partnerships. Our strategy, built on strong collaborations with our customers, has been instrumental in advancing our sustainability initiatives and making a positive impact on the market,” Manoko said.
Manoko added they had spent the past year putting in systems and collaborating with major recyclers Mpact and Gayatri Paper Mills, which have incorporated Tetra Pak LBP carton collection into their operations.
“In addition to the budget of R17 million for 2024, Tetra Pak has invested a further R3.5m to enhance collection systems by deploying eleven young professionals to work with buy-back centres nationally as recycling champions to educate waste pickers and buy-back centres about Tetra Pak’s carton recycling across South Africa,” Manoko said.
To date, the company said it has invested over R54m in the infrastructure and processes required to efficiently manage and recycle cartons.
In January last year, Tetra Pak partnered with Petco, a prominent producer responsibility organisation, to drive its sustainability programme. Through the collaboration, Petco, which had previously focused on PET plastics, was now also recycling cartons.
Tetra Pak said it was committed to continuing its leadership role in advancing the circular recycling economy in South Africa.
“Our focus will be on expanding recycling programmes as we plan to enhance our existing initiatives, such as the schools’ recycling programme, and explore new opportunities to increase recycling rates and community engagement. We will continue to invest in innovative recycling technologies and infrastructure to improve processing efficiency and effectiveness.”