PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2018

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 06/18 www.petpla.net 12 65% recycling rate on a par with international standards South Africa hits new recycling high The 2.15 billion bottles or 93,235t of collected PET exceeded the industry target of 58% for the year 2017 and created 64,000 income- generating opportunities for waste pickers, collectors and recyclers, saving 578,000m 3 of landfill space and 139,000t of carbon in the pro- cess. Petco said the 3% year-on-year increase in tonnage (versus 90,749 tonnes in 2016) was particularly significant against the backdrop of the political and economic instability, volatile exchange rates and indus- trial strike action, which had affected some of the major industry players in 2017. Member-funded recycling fee According to the organisation, water shortages in the Western Cape had seen an increased consumer demand for bottled water during the latter part of the year, which grew the waste volumes available for recycling in this region. Petco chief executive officer Cheri Scholtz said the organisation was thrilled with the latest figures, which demonstrated both the indus- try’s commitment to recycling and the economic value of post-consumer PET in the circular economy. “Through the remarkable network of people, companies and organisations we work with, 5.9 million PET bottles were collected for recycling across South Africa every day during the course of 2017, creating thousands of income- generating opportunities for small and micro-collectors, and changing their lives and those of their families in immeasurable ways.” Scholtz said Petco members paid a voluntary recy- cling fee on every tonne of raw mate- rial purchased, which funded their efforts and supported a sustainable recycling industry. Since the organi- sation’s incorporation in 2004, a total of R2.3 billion (US$182.7 million) has RECYCLING S P E C I A L Despite tough trading conditions and a 13% fall in the total PET market, the South African plastic industry recycled a record 2.15 billion PET plastic bottles in 2017, setting a post-consumer recycling rate of 65% to put the country on a par with international standards. This was announced by national industry body Petco, which is responsible for fulfilling the sector’s mandate of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). PET collector Violet Selota of Thinana Cooperative surveys a mountain of PET plastic bottles collected on behalf of Petco, the national body responsible for PET plastic recycling in South Africa. Phillip Julius (front) and another Canni- bal Glass employee prepare to process post-consumer PET plastic bottles. According to national industry body Petco, a record 2.15 billion bottles were collected and recycled in South Africa in 2017, which equates to 65% of all those produced.