South Africa plastic recycling rate on the rise

Plastics|SA, the umbrella body representing the local plastics industry released the latest plastics recycling figures for 2012. Over the last five years, Plastics|SA has been carefully measuring the recycling rate of plastics in South Africa. The plastics industry has a combined turnover of approximately R50 billion and a consumption rate of close to 1,370 million tonnes per annum. 2012 has seen a 9.3% increase (268,548 tonnes) in the volume of plastic recycled, with the volume of virgin polymer used also up by 5.4% (1,370 ktonnes) in the same period. Similarly, the amount of plastics that were exported also increased (14,744 tonnes) during this year. The European plastics industry stipulates that the maximum economic recycling rate for packaging is about 35 % but South Africa would be able to reach a 40% recycling rate by initiating certain measures. The country is far ahead of Europe with the recycling of thin film and developing a stronger, non-packaging recycling industry for the polyolefins.

www.plasticsinfo.co.za