South Africa is reviewing its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations, while the country’s voluntary Plastics Pact has announced a new roadmap and targets for plastic packaging through 2030.
Extended producer responsibility
On October 15, 2026, South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) announced that it is reviewing the country’s EPR regulations. Deputy Environment Minister Bernice Swarts said the review aims to strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability.
During the announcement, Swarts said, “[c]urrent estimates indicate that only approximately 10% of waste is diverted from landfill.”
Among the proposed changes is a requirement for Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to invest 40% of the EPR fees they collect in waste infrastructure. The government is also considering greater transparency around beneficiaries and assets purchased with EPR funds, as well as consequences for non-expenditure and malpractice.
According to DFFE, between 2022 and 2025 PROs received approximately ZAR 2.4 billion (USD 141 million) from members and reinvested around ZAR 1.4 billion (USD 85 million). The majority – approximately ZAR 915 million (USD 55 million) – went toward infrastructure development. The rest supported micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and waste picker integration. Swarts encouraged municipalities to work with PROs to direct EPR funding toward local waste infrastructure and circular economy projects.
South Africa first published its EPR regulations in November 2020. A corresponding notice, also published in November 2020, specifies that the regulations cover paper and paper packaging, plastic packaging, biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging, single-use plastic products, glass packaging, and metal packaging containers. Producers are responsible for measures concerning collection, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal of these packaging categories.
The regulations require the government to review the performance of EPR schemes at five-year intervals.
South Africa has previously pursued national initiatives to reduce plastic pollution and increase diversion of packaging waste from landfills (FPF reported).
Plastics Pact moves toward 2030 targets
The regulatory review comes as the voluntary South African Plastics Pact begins a new phase of work on plastic packaging.
On October 20, 2026, the Pact announced its 2030 Roadmap, which it says will set out its strategic direction, priority impact areas, funding approach, and workstreams over the next five years.
The South African Plastics Pact was launched in 2020 as part of the international Plastics Pact network (FPF reported). In June 2026, the South African initiative launched four new targets for 2030:
- reduce the intensity of virgin fossil-fuel-based plastic packaging by 20%, through increased recycled content, action on problematic items, and expansion of reuse and refill systems;
- design 100% of rigid plastic packaging for recyclability;
- design 70% of flexible plastic packaging for recyclability; and
- reach a 55% output recycling rate for plastic packaging.
The Pact said its previous 2025 roadmap led member companies to invest more than ZAR 4 billion (USD 242 million) in packaging redesign and recycling capacity. In October 2026, the organization reported a 35% reduction in problematic plastic items, equivalent to 55 million fewer items placed on the market, and an 82% reduction in poorly recyclable packaging. It also reported a 300% increase in recycled content used in packaging since the Pact was established in 2020 and a 28% increase in the tonnage of recyclable packaging placed on the market.
Packaging EPR programs are increasingly being used internationally to shift part of the financial responsibility for collection and recycling from municipalities to producers. Packaging stakeholders have previously argued that mandatory, fee-based EPR can provide dedicated funding for packaging collection and processing (FPF reported).
References
South African Government (October 15, 2026). “Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts: Circular Economy Summit in Limpopo.”
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (November 5, 2020). “Regulations regarding Extended Producer Responsibility, 2020.” (pdf).
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (November 5, 2020). Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Paper, Packaging and Some Single Use Products.” (pdf)
South African Plastics Pact (June 4, 2026). “Minister Willie Aucamp launches ambitious 2030 Targets to drive South Africa’s circular plastics economy.”
South African Plastics Pact (October 20, 2026). “SA Plastics Pact launches 2030 Roadmap.”
