Every time a recyclable item of waste gets put into your general dustbin rather than being sorted for recycling, municipal transport costs to and from the landfill are incurred.
However, when it comes to recycling, it is not all doom and gloom. In fact, South Africa’s paper recovery rate is well above the global average of 59.3% (ICFPA, 2019 Sustainability Progress Report). Over the past 10 years, more than 11.3 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging have been recovered for recycling locally. If baled, this amount would cover the surface of 2,055 soccer fields, one metre deep.
On the plastic front, the recycling rates for PET bottles, for example, for fizzy drinks and water bottles, has improved over the years. South Africa currently recycles around 67% of all plastic PET bottles produced – up from 55% in 2016. South Africa is therefore ahead of international standards and is currently a recycling world-leader.
According to RecyclePaperZA, the paper recycling arm of PAMSA, 1.29 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging was diverted from landfills in 2018. However, according to Plastics SA, approximately 70% of the plastic that was recycled in South Africa had to first be sorted from a landfill in 2018. This illustrates that it is far better for waste to be sorted at the source, which is in one's home.
South Africa’s recycling infrastructure has developed to make it easier to separate at source as certain recyclable materials can be grouped together. This is called “multi-recycling” and simply means separating all recyclables from general waste. In fact, all paper-based recyclables can go in one clear refuse bag, making recycling accessible and easy.
So before throwing away cereal boxes, milk and juice cartons, toilet rolls, cardboard, newspapers or magazines, Mpact is urging consumers to interrogate their waste and ask themselves #AreYouGoingToRecycleThat. The balance of one's recyclables such as glass, plastic and cans can be placed in a separate bag, purely because they often carry liquid which can contaminate paper and cardboard.
“How recycling is collected differs from community to community. There might be a formal recycling collector, kerbside collectors who service particular residential areas, or local community collection points such as schools, retirement villages or shopping malls,” says John Hunt, managing director of Mpact Recycling.
Good recycling practices can also contribute to economic growth and job creation, and reduce social and environmental costs. This in turn positively impacts the circular economy which refers to waste items being re-used or recycled, to be made into something new in an effort to eliminate waste reaching landfills.
According to a 2015 report by the CSIR, just 10% of waste in South Africa was being recycled. Impressively, this small percentage still contributed R8.2 billion worth of resources into the South African economy. Today, the CSIR estimates that the recycling industry provides income opportunities for around 60,000 to 90,000 waste pickers alone.
“Understanding the ways recycling works in your community, and the significant implications of not recycling, is a great way to start making your own positive impact on the volume of waste on South African landfills,” says Hunt.
Visit www.mpactrecycling.co.za to see where its programmes run, or look at your community’s social media pages to find out what recycling initiatives are happening in your area.
