THE recycling done by New Germany-based MAK Plastics strongly supports government’s goals, which include diverting more waste away from landfill sites in the wake of a “ticking time bomb” in the waste management sector.

This was the view of the Director for General Waste Minimisation in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Dumisani Buthelezi, who said in the coming three to five years, many landfill sites across the country would have reached capacity, whilst municipalities would struggle to acquire land for new ones.

“So, that is the disaster municipalities are sitting with – we have a ticking time bomb,” Buthelezi told attendees at the official commissioning of MAK Plastics’ recycling extruder in New Germany on Tuesday, October 7.

Buthelezi said generally, South Africa is struggling with recycling, with most waste still ending up at landfill sites.

“That means our efforts are small. Four years ago, we were sitting on 10-11% of recycling in the country, yet there is a potential to increase,” said Buthelezi.

The department, he explained, resorted to a policy route to improve recycling initiatives with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, which allow industries to work with municipalities and small businesses in waste management “to divert more waste away from landfill sites”.

Buthelezi said EPR regulations put more emphasis on collection, recycling and on product design innovation.

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MAK Plastics, he added, deals with the preparation and cleaning of raw materials which are prepared either for new products or sold as raw materials, even abroad.

Those international sales, Buthelezi said, go to the heart of what the department also emphasises when it comes to recycling, which is to strengthen the circular economy.

“We believe we need to create more opportunities for waste recycling and alternative use, therefore, the circular economy means an investment in programmes which divert more waste away from landfill sites to ensure jobs are created and the environment is kept clean, and MAK Plastics supports government’s programmes in the circular economy and also to achieve what EPR stands for,” said Buthelezi.

The new machinery at MAK Plastics’ recycling plant will double the processing capacity to 400 tonnes per month.

The project was made possible through Polyco’s R18m investment and partnership support and has already created 27 new jobs at the facility. It will enable greater diversion of recyclate from landfills while supplying manufacturers with high-quality recycled pellets, strengthening South Africa’s circular economy.

MAK Plastics director Zahra Khalid said the facility stands as “a symbol of recovery” after the factory was destroyed in the political unrest of 2021.

Khalid said the company and her family, its founders, truly believe in recycling for protecting the environment and creating work and business opportunities in communities.

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