The state of recycling in South Africa:

Are we making a difference?

Zimasa Velaphi
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
 Overview
•  Collect-a-Can at a glance

•  Are we making a difference?

•  Can industry challenges

•  Future of can recovery

•  Questions
Collect-a-Can at a glance  
 Collect-­‐a-­‐Can  at  a  glance  
•  South African based can recovery company founded by ArcelorMittal
SA and Nampak in 1993

•  Before 1993 cans were seen as waste | litter and through Collect-a-
Can value was placed on cans

•  Seven branches across southern Africa including Namibia and

Botswana

•  Works within various communities encouraging all walks of life to

assist us in our can collecting efforts
Are we making a difference?  
Estimated Southern Africa beverage can recovery rate
•  To date Collect-a-Can has paid in excess of R350 million for
cans collected

•  Collect-a-Can schools competitions have paid in excess of R6

million in prize money over and above the money paid to them
for the cans

•  Clean-up campaigns – in the forefront of initiating andR350 millio

n paid
participating
•  Based on the last survey conducted an estimated 100 000 people
are earning or supplementing their income by recovering used
metal cans at any given time

•  Southern Africa ranks amongst the best in the world in metal

packaging recovery
Can industry challenges  
Sorting of cans i.e. aerosol cans – safety risk in handling the material

Plastic nozzle

Not empty - hazardous

Pull-ring rumour: Collect-a-Can pays R2000 for a 2 litre
bottle of pull-rings!

Whole can !
Pull-rings "
•  Separation at source should be enforced by government and
municipalities

•  Non-availability of information of waste categories going to the

landfills

•  Scrap industry: steel and aluminium cans are mixed with scrap and
accurate information relating to can recovery not available

•  ITAC – legislation passed in 2013 on the export of metal scrap – has

negative impact on local recovery rate and job creation

•  Suggested TAX | levy DEA want to impose on packaging will have a

negative impact on the industry
The future of can recovery  
 The future looks bright…

• Nampak Bevcan 2013 – conversion from steel to aluminium cans

• Globally, 85% of all beverage cans are made from aluminium

• Advantages of aluminium conversion:

o  Value of aluminium cans is much higher than steel cans
o  Saves electricity – production line reduced by two thirds

Steel Aluminium
can Conversion
can
 The future looks bright…

• Positive impact on the can recovery due to high value of aluminium

versus steel

• Industry wants to sustain and grow the metal packaging recovery in

Southern Africa
 Questions?

www.collectacan.co.za

Tel: 011 4662939

Head Office
Kyalami
Gauteng
 Thank you

www.collectacan.co.za

Tel: 011 4662939

Head Office
Kyalami
Gauteng