Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP) South Africa, formerly Consol Glass, has launched a Web-based initiative called money4glass, which is aimed at improving glass recycling effectiveness within the company’s supply chain.

The platform, which is powered by BanQu supply chain compliance software, will help AGP track and monitor all recycled glass, or cullet, trades but also help put money in the pockets of recyclers in a more transparent and faster way.

“The technology enables us to identify traders, better understand the footprint of cullet recycling activity in the country and monitor the volumes of cullet traded in different regions,” explains AGP Africa supply chain executive Thomas Shaw.

Additionally, the technology allows the company to make glass recycling financially viable across the width and breadth of South Africa, through the application of targeted incentives.

The platform also ensures that payments and incentives can quickly reach all recyclers, particularly informal recyclers.

AGP’s supply chain includes three levels of recycling, starting with glass recyclers who sell directly to AGP South Africa in quantities of at least 10 t a month, the glass recyclers that typically sell to the Level 1 buyers in smaller loads, and the informal waste pickers that collect glass in bags or trolleys and sell to Level 1 or Level 2 buyers.

Moreover, the company says the money4glass platform will help collate data that can be used for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Plan audits, which is mandated by legislation as of 2021.

In efforts to create a circular economy and reduce the environmental footprint of the manufacturing industry, government introduced the EPR as a producer-focused mechanism to reduce waste – by ensuring that producers of products take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products and packaging.

The intention is to increase recycling, and thereby decrease dependency on new raw materials.

AGP is a leading supplier of glass packaging in sub-Saharan Africa, with operations in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Its operations comprise 65 glass and metal production facilities in 16 countries, which employ more than 21 000 people.

BUYER BENEFITS

AGP says the money4glass platform is easy to use and accessible on any Internet-enabled device. It records transactions between registered buyers and sellers at all levels in a transparent manner.

Besides creating a formalised and transparent trading platform, the technology has several benefits for traders, for the business and for the government’s economic empowerment ambitions, AGP states.

For traders, the technology allows transactions anywhere, anytime; enables electronic records and bookkeeping to replace paper or manual systems; offers instant cashless transactions to reduce the risk around cash and payments, which improves trust; and enables applicable subsidies and incentives to be paid quickly and easily.

AGP and other industry players will benefit from a growing network of connected recycling enterprises; real-time reporting and tracking across multiple buying or processing sites; and easily managed supply chain data in compliance with black economic empowerment procurement scores, as well as the Protection of Personal Information Act.

Importantly, the platform will empower downstream recycling value chain players through visibility and increased bankability; will enable enterprise development and visibility to the base of the pyramid; and strengthen efficiencies of waste collection networks, including informal collectors.

All this will drive economic empowerment and small business development.

“Sustainability is a business-critical focus for Ardagh, and we are acutely aware how important it is to drive increased recycling. We are confident that this initiative is going to take glass recycling to a new level in South Africa,” concludes Ardagh Glass Packaging Africa CEO Paul Curnow.