Enhancing the Recycling Loop: A Call to Action for Paper Waste
Each year, approximately 1.2 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging are successfully diverted from landfills across South Africa, thanks to a robust network of collectors, which includes both small recycling businesses and informal waste pickers. These materials are reincorporated into the recycling loop, facilitating the production of new paper products such as packaging and tissue.
In recognition of Global Recycling Day, the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) highlights the critical role consumers play in recycling, while also emphasizing that improvements are still necessary. “A significant amount of recyclable material continues to end up in landfills due to inadequate waste separation and recycling practices,” states Samantha Choles, communications manager at PAMSA.
Highly recyclable items such as office paper and paper packaging—including cardboard boxes and grocery bags—are essential to enhancing South Africa’s recycling rate. “We strongly encourage people to ensure that cardboard boxes and paper bags are available for pickup by informal collectors,” Choles advises. “When these materials are placed in wheelie bins, they often become contaminated, complicating the recycling process.”
PAMSA also urges businesses, schools, and homes to assist in improving office paper recycling efforts. “Providing containers for recycling at printers, desks, and in classrooms can make recycling much more accessible,” Choles recommends.
Simple changes in everyday practices can significantly impact paper recycling, preventing materials from ending up in landfills, which are rapidly filling up. For context, every tonne of recycled paper saves around three cubic meters of landfill space. If bales of recovered material were stacked, they would cover approximately 218 football fields or fill 1,438 Olympic-sized swimming pools. If aligned end-to-end, they would stretch an astonishing 1,797 kilometers—the distance from Cape Town to the Kruger National Park.
Three Effective Ways to Enhance Paper Recycling
1. Understand What Can Be Recycled
Items eligible for recycling include office paper, cardboard boxes, cereal boxes, magazines, newspapers, and milk or beverage cartons. However, certain items like soiled or overly wet paper products, tissues, diapers, and laminated paper should be disposed of with general waste.
2. Maintain Separation, Cleanliness, and Dryness
Ensure paper and cardboard are kept distinct from wet or food waste to bolster their recyclability. Where feasible, remove plastic windows, tape, staples, or any non-paper components before recycling.
3. Support Local Recycling Initiatives
Consumers can contribute by placing recyclables out for neighborhood collectors, engaging with municipal recycling programs where available, or utilizing recycling centers and dedicated recycling points at shopping malls.
PAMSA underscores that simple actions taken by millions of South Africans can yield substantial results. “Every cereal box, cardboard box, or piece of office paper appropriately separated for recycling plays a role in retaining essential fiber within the production loop,” states Choles. “Establishing effective recycling habits can help South Africa advance its recycling rates even further.”
Through collective effort and awareness, it’s possible to create a sustainable recycling culture that benefits both the environment and the economy.
