Petco hits 60% post-consumer PET recycling rate in 2023

SOUTH AFRICA – Newly released audited data reveals that Petco, South Africa’s longest-standing producer responsibility organization (PRO), achieved a 64% collection and 60% recycling rate for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles placed on the market by its members in 2023.

This accomplishment surpasses the legislated 58% requirement for post-consumer PET recycling, significantly contributing to a healthier environment.

Since 2004, Petco has been managing the voluntary collection and recycling of PET bottles and jars, along with their associated labels and closures, on behalf of its members.

In 2023, the second year under South Africa’s mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, Petco met 98% of the legislated targets set by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for these products by volume.

The EPR regulations mandate that packaging producers – including brand owners, retailers, and importers – take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their post-consumer packaging to prevent it from polluting the environment or ending up in landfills.

Members of Petco include major brand owners such as Unilever, Tiger Brands, Twizza, The Beverage Company, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo, as well as retailers Pick n Pay and Woolworths.

Last year, Petco expanded its focus by including Tetra Pak and its customers as new members, establishing an EPR scheme for liquid board packaging (LBP).

During the setup phase, Petco achieved 80% of the legislated recycling target for LBP. To stimulate the collection of this packaging, the organization increased the number of active buy-back centers from seven to 32 and raised the price paid for LBP on the ground.

Petco CEO Cheri Scholtz highlighted the organization’s efforts in building a sustainable value chain for post-consumer PET packaging in South Africa over nearly two decades and its commitment to developing a circular economy.

“We’ve now taken everything we’ve learned over our 19-year journey with PET and applied our experience to building a sustainable model for LBP. This aligns with our expanded vision to drive circularity within the broader packaging value chain,” Scholtz said.

Petco’s combined efforts in PET and LBP collection and recycling last year saved 64,100 m³ of landfill space and reduced 314,500 tonnes of carbon emissions associated with virgin material production.

The organization also supported buy-back centers, sustaining 910 employment opportunities and the livelihoods of more than 8,000 waste pickers.

Additionally, Petco conducted 77 recycling workshops and three accredited business training courses nationwide, engaging nearly 6,000 participants.

The organization’s initiatives supported 58 municipalities and various national and provincial departments with collection and recycling programs.

Scholtz emphasized that the yearly figures go beyond mere statistics, demonstrating how Petco has contributed to the economy, sustained income opportunities for ordinary South Africans, and prevented packaging from entering the environment.

In addition, the organization invested over R70 million (US$3.81m) in the collection and recycling value chain, enabling contracted recyclers to purchase R309 million (US$16.82m) worth of post-consumer packaging from collection businesses.

“We have a dedicated team on the ground in each province, working with corporate partners, various tiers of government, as well as waste pickers and collectors, to advance the collection of recyclable packaging, particularly those of interest to Petco members,” Scholtz said.

Petco supported 100 collection projects nationwide, including waste pickers, small, medium-sized, and micro-enterprises, and cooperatives, by providing equipment such as baling machines, trailers, trolleys, scales, and personal protective equipment to enhance the quality and quantity of their collections.

“For us, the EPR targets are not a burden. They present a real opportunity to assist our members in advancing South Africa’s circular economy by strengthening every single link in the value chain, no matter how big or small,” Scholtz concluded.

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