Industry association the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has been registered as a producer responsibility organisation (PRO), which will enable it to coordinate efforts by its manufacturing and retailer members to reduce the impact of waste on the environment and also comply with applicable extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.

It will operate and be managed under the EPR regulation, which is being implemented in terms of the National Environmental Management Waste Act to reduce the environmental impact of waste materials.

The CGCSA PRO is registered to collect and manage waste in three categories, namely paper and packaging, lighting and electronic equipment. These are based on what is put onto the market by producers signed up with it.

Through the PRO, the CGCSA will also be able to play a socially responsible role by involving local communities to promote waste reduction and recycling, with the aim of promoting the growth of the circular economy and creating jobs in the informal sector, with a particular focus on the youth and women, it added.

The registration of the PRO is an important milestone in efforts by the CGCSA to promote sustainable waste management practices by its members. As a PRO, it will collaborate with other stakeholders to share best practices and influence waste management regulations.

“This will position us as leaders to foster innovation in waste management practices therefore enhancing our brand image in the industry. Importantly, the reduction of the impact of waste on the environment aligns with our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12, which encourages more sustainable production and consumption and management of waste and materials that are toxic to the environment,” said CGCSA food safety and sustainability initiative executive Matlou Setati.

South Africa generated approximately 316 810 t of e-waste, including discarded electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, televisions and other electronic appliances.

However, South Africa has a relatively low e-waste recycling rate and, in 2021, it was estimated that only around 10% of electronic waste was recycled, while the rest ended up in landfill sites or informal recycling practices.

In the paper packing sector, the country recycled 1.15-million tonnes of paper and paper packaging, representing a paper recovery rate of 61.4%, while out of the one-million tonnes of glass produced every year, an estimated 330 000 t of non-returnable bottles and jars are recycled.

“Through the PRO, we expect to see momentum in efforts to recycle e-waste, paper and packing and contribute significantly to national efforts to avoid waste being dumped in landfills, which is environmentally unsustainable and is also a significant contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions that are damaging our planet,” he said.