SA Plastics Pact sets 55% output recycling target, 20% virgin plastic cut for 2030

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s Plastics Pact has launched 2030 targets at GreenCape’s Cape Town offices, committing members to a 20% virgin plastic reduction, 100% rigid and 70% flexible packaging designed for recyclability, and a 55% output recycling rate.

Minister Willie Aucamp delivered the keynote address as founding members including Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Spar, Tiger Brands, Unilever, and Heineken joined recyclers Extrupet and Atlantic Plastic Recycling. 

The Pact, which launched in 2020 and now has 53 member organisations, has seen members invest over R4 billion (approximately US$213 million) since inception to redesign packaging and scale local recycling.

Measuring What Actually Leaves the Recycler

Roan Snyman, Pact project manager at GreenCape, explained the methodological shift: past targets measured what arrived at recycling facilities, but much of that still went to landfill. 

The new target measures what actually leaves the recycling facility to be made into new products, ensuring materials re-enter the economy. 

The dedicated target for flexible packaging addresses crisp packets, sauce sachets, and multi-layer pouches, among the most difficult materials to recycle globally.

Systemic Change Across the Value Chain

Minister Aucamp stated that he is proud his Department has been part of the Pact since its January 2020 launch, adding that the 2030 targets signal collective determination to move beyond business as usual. 

The Pact represents a major structural shift toward upstream and midstream interventions across South Africa’s plastics value chain. 

Saloshnee Naidoo, Circular Economy Programme Manager at GreenCape, stated that the Pact has reached a point of maturity where ambition is increasingly being translated into measurable, cross-sector action.

Plastic Reboot Drives Implementation

Central to achieving the 2030 ambitions is Plastic Reboot, a global five-year project active in 15 countries, delivered in South Africa through a partnership between UNIDO, WWF South Africa, the CSIR, and GreenCape, focusing on circular solutions in the food and beverage sector. 

WWF South Africa CEO Morné du Plessis called on Pact members not to get complacent despite progress made.

Snyman noted that membership remains voluntary, and not every company placing plastic on the South African market is in the room, but the Pact tries to deliver value that those companies need.

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