Busisiwe Khumalo, Danone’s corporate communications officer signing the SA Plastics Pact’s founding member commitment at last month’s official launch in Cape Town.
As reported in PPM’s March and July 2019 issues, the Pact has been developed specifically for the South African context but also shaped by experiences of others in The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact global network, in particular, the UK Plastics Pact, led by WRAP.
Aligned with the New Plastics Economy vision, South Africa joins France, the UK, The Netherlands and Chile in exchanging knowledge and collaborating to accelerate the transition to a global circular economy.
The SA Plastics Pact will be managed and delivered by GreenCape, a not-for-profit organisation that assists businesses; investors; and government (local, provincial and national) in establishing and growing a resilient green economy through supporting policy and regulatory advocacy; sharing market intelligence; and facilitating market access, skills development, networking and events.
The Pact’s founding members have committed to four ambitious 2025 targets that prevent plastics from becoming a waste/pollution problem.
These goals encompass taking action on problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (re-use) delivery models; making 100% of plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable; ensuring 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled; and including 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging formats.
Founding Pact members are Addis, the Clicks Group, Coca-Cola Africa, Danone, Distell, HomeChoice, Massmart, Myplas, Nampak Rigids, Pick n Pay, Polyoak, Polyplank, Shoprite Group, Spar, Spur Corporation, TFG, Tiger Brands, Tuffy, Unilever, Waste Plan and Woolworths.
Non-profit organisation members include the City of Cape Town, Department of Environment, Forestry & Fisheries, Fruit South Africa, Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, PET Recycling Company, Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation, Polystyrene Association of SA, SAPRO, and Southern African Vinyls Association.
Following the launch, GreenCape, with the support of WWF-SA and WRAP, will develop the Pact’s 2025 roadmap towards collective action in the local market, including annual public progress reports. WRAP has secured funding to support this work for the first six months. Additional funding will, however, be sought
for specific projects and activities.
Members are confident that by delivering on the 2025 targets, they’ll help boost job creation in the plastics collection and recycling sector, and create new opportunities in product design and reuse business models.
For more information about the South African Plastics Pact, visit www.saplasticspact.org.za or email: info@saplasticspact.org.za
Progressive planning
The UK Plastics Pact – driven by The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a key advisor in South Africa’s Pact development plan – has been running for over 20 months, and made positive strides towards its 2025 targets.
•Pact members are across the half-way mark of making all their packaging recyclable.
•The UK is more than half-way towards recycling 70% of plastics packaging, following huge investment in recycling infrastructure, which has enabled an extra 240 000 ton capacity.
•Members are a third of the way towards an average of 30% recycled content in their plastic packaging.
•A billion problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic items will be eliminated by the end of 2020.
