South Africa’s recycling efforts are gaining momentum. The most recent Fibre Circle statistics show that 72.1% of recyclable paper was diverted from landfills, evidence of both progress and public willingness to participate.

Yet for many households, businesses and waste pickers, recycling still breaks down at a practical level: Not knowing where to take materials, what each site accepts, or who to contact.

To address this everyday barrier, the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the paper and fibre-based packaging industry, Fibre Circle, has launched the national Waste Facilities Locator, an interactive, web-based map designed to help South Africans quickly find nearby waste and recycling facilities.

The platform enables users to identify buy-back centres, public drop-off sites, recycling facilities, mills, and landfill sites across the country. Each listed facility includes key information such as location, type of site, materials accepted and, where available, contact details and website links.

“Recycling often fails at the first step: access to clear, reliable information,” says Edith Leeuta, CEO of Fibre Circle.

“We know South Africans are willing to recycle. But willingness needs to be matched with practical tools. By making recycling infrastructure visible and easy to navigate, we can remove friction and improve recovery rates.”

One of the common challenges in recycling is the cost of uncertainty. Arriving at a site that does not accept certain materials or discovering too late that it is not the correct facility type results in wasted time and transport costs. By presenting essential information upfront, the Waste Facilities Locator helps users plan before they travel, supporting cleaner loads, reduced contamination and more consistent participation.

Enabling smarter planning for waste pickers and municipalities

The interactive database is designed to add value across the recycling chain, making it easier for households to identify drop-off points and acceptable materials, and for businesses to plan collection partnerships.

The greatest impact will be felt by waste pickers and municipalities. For waste pickers, time and transport costs can determine whether a day is profitable, and being able to identify buy-back centres and confirm accepted materials helps waste pickers plan smarter routes and avoid unnecessary travel. Municipalities can improve resource diversion planning and support more targeted investment in recovery infrastructure, as the mapped view of waste infrastructure helps highlight gaps in service coverage.

Circular economic integration

Leeuta emphasises that strengthening South Africa’s circular economy depends not only on awareness campaigns, but on improving access to infrastructure. When recycling becomes simpler and more predictable, participation becomes routine, and volumes increase.

“In a country where unemployment and service delivery pressures are real, circular economy growth is also an opportunity for inclusive economic activity. We want to make it as easy as possible to move material back into the economy,” says Leeuta.

As the Waste Facilities Locator expands, maintaining current data and broad geographic coverage will remain a priority, particularly in underserved areas. By making waste and recycling infrastructure searchable and transparent, Fibre Circle aims to support a more connected, efficient recovery system and help move more materials back into productive use.