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Welcome to SAPRO

SAPRO COVID19

SAPRO’s priority is to safeguard our staff and others with whom they usually work, so we’re all currently working from home and are not holding or attending meetings or events. Whilst this means we’re unable to provide our full programme of activities during this period, we are committed to supporting our members, partners and the global community as best we can. Along with all our usual best practice guidance, tools and resources on this website, we will be considering what else we can do to help governments, businesses, and citizens during this time.

If you want to contact us please email lisa@plasticrecyclingsa.co.za. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible.

About Us

The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) represents the plastics re-processors in South Africa. Its members procure sorted, baled end-of-life plastics and re-process it into raw material. The recycled material can be used to manufacture new plastics products. South Africa is amongst the top recycling countries in the world. The Organisation is funded by its members and assists recyclers in Building a recycling industry that is respected and acknowledged by government, industry and the public.

Why Recycle?

Tackle the Landfill Crisis

In South Africa, the landfill capacity is fast becoming an impending crisis. With only 7.5% of South African’s recycling, we currently have over 90% of waste produced ending up in landfills.

Support Waste Pickers

Waste pickers saved government R748.8 million in 2014 through their informal recycling services. However, their value is not recognised.

Reduce Carbon Footprint

Recycling helps to reduce the production of waste, and thereby reduce the chemicals and gasses produced in landfills.

Local production

SA converted 1,842,745 tons of polymer (locally produced, imported and recycled) into plastics products. This was a decrease of 1.8% from the previous year. What is encouraging, however, was that recycled content made up 18% of these locally converted polymers. South Africa converted 337,745 tons of recycled material into new products.

Contribution to GDP

The recycling of plastic made a direct contribution to South Africa’s GDP of 2.3% and an 18.5% contribution to the Manufacturing GDP.

70% from landfill

More than 70% of all the recyclable plastic collected came from landfill and other post-consumer sources. Material was sourced as baled materials from the formal sector, collectors and waste management companies. Thanks to these successful collection and recycling operations, 2.2% less plastic waste ended up in landfill.

Tonnages Recycled

503 600 tons of plastics waste was collected for recycling. Of this, more than half was packaging – giving South Africa an input recycling rate of 45.7 %.

It Is Estimated

Through plastics recycling 58,750 income opportunities were created – which include waste pickers and employees of the smaller entrepreneurial collectors.; R2,065 billion was injected into the informal sector through the purchasing of recyclable plastics waste.

More than 300

Bona fide recyclers have been identified operating in South Africa; 20 % of the recyclers convert 70 % of the tonnages.

SAPRO news and views

Keep up to date on whats happening in the ecosystem

Read SAPRO snippets