South Africans are recycling more than ever before, and this according to the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (Prasa).
Prasa said in their statement issued on 18 May that the annual paper recovery rate has increased by 2 per cent year-on-year since 2012 and is currently at 68,4 per cent.
PET Recycling Company (Petco) reports that plastic bottle recycled tonnage has grown by 822 per cent since 2005.
The company said these figures point to a growing awareness of recycling, but more importantly, they show that South Africans are taking action and making a concerted effort to do the right thing.
The Department of Environmental Affairs reports that less than 20 per cent of waste is recycled annually, meaning most of the country’s recyclable materials continue to go to landfill.
Mpact Recycling managing director, John Hunt, said while the country’s citizens may have a general understanding of the benefits of recycling, they may not realise just how much good they are doing.
“The environmental impact of recycling is enormous and according to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ South African Waste Information Centre, more than 19,2 million tonnes of general waste and one million tonnes of hazardous waste went to South Africa’s 133 landfill sites in 2017,” said Hunt.
“We are running out of landfill space in South Africa. In 2016, three landfill sites were closed in Pretoria. These are sites that were meant to have an additional lifespan of about 25 years.”
Hunt said less waste to landfill means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, less of a negative impact on the environment.
He said recycling also helps to address some of the country’s social ills such as unemployment and poverty.
“Recycling has helped create work opportunities for more than 100 000 people, according to Prasa.
“In line with this, Mpact Recycling has helped establish 45 buy-back centres in Gauteng alone,” he said.
The programme provides work opportunities for about 1 000 people on a regular basis through the collection of recyclables, Hunt added.
Details: Tshidi Mahote 011 896 1818.
