With the draft of the National Waste Management Strategy 2026, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs has set the course for stronger regulation of packaging. The revised waste strategy focuses on extended producer responsibility and the circular economy - with direct implications for producers and distributors of packaging.
The draft National Waste Management Strategy 2026 (NWMS 2026) was presented by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and is based on the National Environmental Management Waste Act of 2008. A central element is the further development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is particularly important for packaging.
Packaging as a core area of producer responsibility
Packaging is already one of the regulated product groups within the EPR systems in South Africa. According to the draft, more than 2,000 producers and 86 Producer Responsibility Organisations are registered, primarily in the paper and packaging sector. The NWMS 2026 provides for these systems to be consolidated, monitored and, if necessary, expanded.
The strategy emphasises that producers should be made more responsible for designing products and packaging in such a way that they are more durable, reusable and easier to recycle. The aim is to consistently avoid waste along the waste hierarchy, to recycle it and only to landfill it as a last resort.
Higher diversion rates and less landfill
The government has formulated ambitious diversion targets: Within five years, 40 per cent of collected waste is to be diverted from landfill, within ten years 50 per cent and within 15 years at least 60 per cent. Packaging waste plays a central role in this, as it makes up a significant proportion and is comparatively easy to recycle, it says.
In the long term, the strategy aims for „zero non-residual waste going to landfill“. For packaging manufacturers, this means increasing requirements for recyclability, take-back systems and reporting.
Focus on data collection and compliance
Another focus is on monitoring and data transparency. Over 20,000 activities are registered in the South African Waste Information System, but the reporting rate is around 30 per cent. Stricter reporting obligations and controls are therefore likely to become relevant for distributors of packaging.
Source: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
