Evaluating post-consumer metal packaging recovery systems in South Africa

Abstract

This thesis evaluated the post-consumer metal packaging recovery systems in South Africa (SA) against the backdrop of existing environmental management legislation and international best practices. It also examined the factors influencing the recovery of post consumer metal packaging in SA, aligning with the recent Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, circular economy principles and sustainable development theory. The SA packaging industry generates approximately 3.5 million tons of packaging annually, representing an economic value of approximately R100 billion, contributing 1.5% to the SA national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022. The metal packaging segment, valued at R7.8 billion, exerts a substantial influence on the overall packaging value in South Africa's packaging industry. In accordance with the compliance regulations set by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) in South Africa, the metal packaging industry is required to submit annual reports on the recovery of post-consumer metal packaging. These reports must demonstrate a year-on-year post-consumer metal packaging recovery growth of 2%, starting from the 2022 baseline target of 59% and continuing to 67% by 2026. The actual post-consumer metal packaging recovery was reported as 53.5% for the year 2022, indicating a gap of 5.5% from the target. Given the projection of metal packaging placed on the SA market, against the projected post-consumer recovery rate, this gap is expected to widen to 9.19% by 2024. The study therefore aimed to propose a model that will improve the recovery and recycling rates, as well as the data reporting integrity, of post-consumer metal packaging in SA, enhancing the metal packaging circular economy, aligning with global sustainable development principles and South African legislation. This study explored, through a systematic literature review (SLR), the global best practices relating to post-consumer metal packaging recovery, considering the current challenges on metal recovery, coupled with an understanding of the local converter/brand-owner and metal recycler commitment to metal recovery and recycling in SA. The SLR was complemented with two qualitative surveys to determine the foundational elements of the proposed model. The SLR adopted rigorous search criteria, and restricted the research to the past eight years, to maintain technical relevance, thus ensuring that the latest technology and business knowledge is addressed. The qualitative research, built upon the SLR findings, deployed two sets of open-ended questionnaires that were used to interview key converter/brand-owners and metal recyclers in South Africa, capturing responses through focused, semi structured discussions. The findings of this study indicate that SA is not aligned with global best practices with respect to post consumer metal packaging recovery. The researcher proposed a robust post-consumer metal packaging recovery model for South Africa, leveraging Industry 4.0 technology, design for recycling (D4R) principles, synchronised deposit return systems (DRS), supported by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), to sustainably increase post-consumer metal packaging recovery volumes. This model, in alignment with international best practices, provides accurate and reliable data to illustrate the circular economy (CE) of metal, aiming to improve the recovery of metal packaging in SA, supporting the EPR compliance obligations and sustainability development principles within SA. The recommendations derived from this research could have broader applications in other packaging substrates, both domestically and internationally, if they are adapted to the specific context of the respective industries.