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Recycle

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Where to recycle plastics in South Africa

The Sustainable Sea Trust has an interactive map that shows thousands of collectors, recyclers, depots, landfills, swap shops and buy-back centres in most major centres in South Africa.

If you live in the Western Cape, the Green Map has a list of recycling companies that cover different areas of Cape Town. Some offer collections; others have drop-off points.

Some suburbs in South Africa have recycling collection services run by civic associations or community groups for a monthly fee.

For more remote suburbs in South Africa, search community Facebook pages or a local directory for recycling depots and drop-off points.

What can be recycled?

Knowledge is power. Please dispose of these items responsibly and don’t allow them to end up in a landfill.

Tin and can recycling in SouthAfrica is one of the areas of waste management that is on the increase, especially in households.

  • Aluminium and metal food and beverage cans

Anything that runs on batteries or electricity is considered eWaste

Glass recycling in South Africa is on the increase.

  • Glass (food and beverage glass only)

Liquid packaging, which is sometimes referred to as Tetrapak, is a grade of packaging material which is now recyclable.

  • Long-life milk boxes 
  • Wine boxes 
  • Fruit juice boxes

When it comes to office paper recycling or paper and cardboard recycling, there is a wide range of paper materials that can be diverted from landfill.

  • Used cardboard boxes 
  • Newspaper
  • Magazines
  • Pamphlets 
  • White office paper 
  • Coloured paper 
  • Cereal boxes
  • Liquid packaging

Plastic materials are widely recycled

  • Cold drink bottles
  • Mineral water bottles
  • Milk bottles
  • Sauce bottles
  • Plastic furniture, buckets
  • Clear plastic bags
  • Mixed plastic bags
  • Shrink wrap
  • Polypropylene
  • Bottle caps

When it comes to office paper recycling or paper and cardboard recycling, there is a wide range of paper materials that can be diverted from landfill.

  • Used cardboard boxes 
  • Newspaper
  • Magazines
  • Pamphlets 
  • White office paper 
  • Coloured paper 
  • Cereal boxes
  • Liquid packaging

Plastic materials are widely recycled

  • Cold drink bottles
  • Mineral water bottles
  • Milk bottles
  • Sauce bottles
  • Plastic furniture, buckets
  • Clear plastic bags
  • Mixed plastic bags
  • Shrink wrap
  • Polypropylene
  • Bottle caps

Tin and can recycling in SouthAfrica is one of the areas of waste management that is on the increase, especially in households.

  • Aluminium and metal food and beverage cans

Anything that runs on batteries or electricity is considered eWaste

Glass recycling in South Africa is on the increase.

  • Glass (food and beverage glass only)

Liquid packaging, which is sometimes referred to as Tetrapak, is a grade of packaging material which is now recyclable.

  • Long-life milk boxes 
  • Wine boxes 
  • Fruit juice boxes

What PLASTICS can be recycled?

HDPE

Robust and stable material for recycling – Best in class

HDPE product diversity and properties varies and have impact on recyclable product performance

Food contact technology to be improved and developed

Excellent for non-food contact applications

PET

Most recycled material and a singular grade

Vanilla product – Major market all the same

Collection effort well advanced

Properties deteriorate if not done correctly – Sensitive but controllable

Food contact product leader

PP

Sensitive to degradation due to chemistry

Food contact technology to be improved and developed

Excellent for non-food contact applications

PET

Most recycled material and a singular grade

Vanilla product – Major market all the same

Collection effort well advanced

Properties deteriorate if not done correctly – Sensitive but controllable

Food contact product leader

HDPE

Robust and stable material for recycling – Best in class

HDPE product diversity and properties varies and have impact on recyclable product performance

Food contact technology to be improved and developed

Excellent for non-food contact applications

PP

Sensitive to degradation due to chemistry

Food contact technology to be improved and developed

Excellent for non-food contact applications

How to guides

How to understand BioPlastics
How to recycle plastics
How to use polystyrene safely
How to recycle multi-layer plastic
How to know the difference when it co...