South Africa is under pressure to reduce waste to landfill and build a circular economy. This comes at a time when landfills are filling up, climate change is increasing severe weather events, and the world is looking to more sustainable economic models that look to the future.

Keith Anderson, CEO of the EPR Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA), believes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a turning point for South Africa, but only if it is enforced consistently and supported by collaboration.

Anderson’s own journey into sustainability begins not in waste but in technology. “My background is in IT,” he explains.

“In the early 2000’s I served two terms as president of the ITA (Information Technology Association of SA), During that time I became curious about the growing mountains of electronic waste. Attending a sustainability summit at the time shaped my view; the five-capital model, a precursor to the circular economy, made me see waste as part of a bigger system.”

Inspired by European models such as Switzerland’s pioneering take-back scheme, Anderson helped draft South Africa’s first industry waste management plan which was sent to the DFFE in 2010. Unfortunately, the then Minister could not consider the plan due to the lack of any related legislation at that point in time. By 2019, when EPR was under discussion, he was invited to sit on government committees shaping the framework.

“The success of EPR internationally was undeniable.” South Africa, while taking ideas from Europe, didn’t copy the model exactly. In European countries, there is predominantly one Producer Responsibility Organisation(PRO) per waste stream, but in South Africa, there are multiple.

Businesses found EPR regulations difficult to navigate at first. Many companies initially resisted. “The bigger the company, the bigger the challenge,” Anderson recalls. “Law firms even advised clients they didn’t need to register.”

There was confusion over who the EPR pertained to, and many saw EPR as an additional cost rather than an investment. Anderson’s foresight meant eWASA was positioned as the only registered body handling e-waste at the time. However, the complexities of having to register with multiple PRO’s led Anderson to register eWASA to handle all the regulated EPR waste streams on behalf of their clients. “Firstly, having to explain and navigate the various PROs and waste streams would have been difficult. We offered our clients a “one-stop-shop” solution.”

As a PRO, eWASA must walk a fine line between regulation and industry. “The shift to the producer is monumental,” he says. “They have to trust us, and we have to prove ourselves. The cost of compliance is embedded into the product and ultimately carried by the consumer.

Transparency, he insists, is vital. “At one stage, our fees were higher than others, but we committed to not changing our fees for five-year periods and have applied eco-modulation accordingly. Our fees now are the same as in 2021, and we show our members exactly where their money goes.”

Anderson breaks these fees down as follows: Currently 60% is used for recyclers, 28% is used for waste pickers, take-back schemes, other SMME development, education and development and awareness campaigns. At first, 25% of the EPR fees were legislated to go towards covering the business administration expenses. This has now been reduced to 12%. Anderson adds, “So for every rand spent, 88 cents go directly towards circularity.”

The free rider problem

One of Anderson’s sharpest criticisms is reserved for free riders, companies placing products on the market without fulfilling their EPR obligations. “Free riders are a global problem,” he warns.

“Online platforms should theoretically comply, but enforcing responsibility on online marketplaces is difficult. Platforms themselves could ensure compliance of traders and suppliers or take on their responsibility.”

Government, he argues, needs to be more decisive. “The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is slowly getting to grips with customs data. They can use that to pressure imports to pay their share. At present, ignoring EPR can carry a R5 million fine or five years in jail, but not a single fine has been issued, that we aware of.”

Funding impact and grassroots change

Despite these challenges, Anderson says the EPR system is working.

“The impact is tangible. Since its inception, eWASA has diverted 47% of its waste from landfill. Our projects are designed to have both environmental and social value.” Some of eWASA’s initiatives include partnering with schools to collect bread tags, which would fund wheelchairs for people who need them. Another partnership turns recycled plastic into school benches. eWASA has also worked extensively with waste pickers, formalising 4000 of them with training, uniforms, tools, and trolleys, as well as developing the capacity to recycle lithium batteries.

SMME development is central to the organisation’s strategy. “This year alone, we’ve invested R47 million, created 206 direct jobs, and launched 26 projects across eight provinces,” Anderson notes. “It’s about building local infrastructure to handle waste and keep it out of landfill.”

Anderson is clear that the next phase must focus on problematic waste streams and stronger collaboration.

“We cannot ignore difficult materials. We’re piloting vape take-backs with Spar and looking at solutions for sticky plastic labels. We’re also developing a hub in KwaZulu-Natal to handle multiple waste streams, with plans for Gauteng and the Western Cape.”

He also suggests rethinking some of the policy. “Having five PROs for one waste stream makes no sense and creates duplication. One PRO per waste stream is far more efficient, however trying to consolidate the many PRO’s now would present challenges. Competition is not the way forward in this sector; collaboration and economies of scale are.

For Anderson, the vision is ambitious but achievable. “Every player in the value chain, producers, recyclers, municipalities, and consumers, must work together. If we do that, South Africa can stop seeing waste as a burden and start seeing it as a resource. That’s how we build a truly circular economy.”