“The ability to recycle post-consumer bottles back into new PET bottles will help ensure the long-term viability of PET plastics recycling in South Africa,” Extrupet chairperson Laju Chanrai said at the launch on Monday, adding that the plant was the first on the continent to use Coca-Cola-approved technology to recycle PET bottles into resin for reuse in new carbonated soft drink bottles.

The plant, which was built at a cost of R75-million, was estimated to create an additional 15 000 income opportunities for the informal sector, which would collect an estimated additional 22 000 t/y of plastic material to supply the plant. “By doing so, 136 400 m³/y of landfill space would be saved and carbon savings would amount to 33 000 t/y,” he added.

Petco CEO Cheri Scholtz pointed out that the collection and recycling of post-consumer PET had grown from 9 840 t in 2004 to 64 000 t in 2014. “Owing to this, we have grown our targets from 16% to 49% of post-consumer beverage PET being recycled. This is significant following a 6% to 8% yearly increase in bottle consumption by consumers,” she indicated. This year, Petco aimed to have 50% of post-consumer beverage PET recycled. Scholtz further noted that projects such as these would contribute to the industry being able to reach a recycling target of 70% by 2022, which would result in an estimated 170 000 t/y of PET bottles being recycled.

Moreover, following a tour of the plant, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa indicated that Coca-Cola’s approval of the technology used at the plant affirmed the company’s commitment to running its business in an environmentally sustainable way. The Minister also stated that the plant addressed two of the National Waste Management Strategy goals.

The first was the promotion of waste minimisation at landfills through the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste, with the target being to direct 25% of waste to recyclables by 2016. The second goal was to grow the contribution of the waste sector to the green economy, with the target being to create 69 000 jobs in the sector and create an additional 2 600 small, medium-sized and microenterprises by 2016. Molewa further stressed that companies should continue looking into waste management programmes that would address poverty, unemployment, inequality and environmental sustainability.

“Today, as we launch this plant, Petco and Extrupet have led the way in providing sustainable ways to mitigate waste, which is an example of initiatives that other companies should follow. Hopefully, more initiatives of this nature will be implemented by different companies across the country as we continue to wage war against waste,” she concluded. Edited by: Chanel de Bruyn