The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) has reported strong progress in PVC recycling and product stewardship, with the organisation exceeding national recycling targets for post-consumer PVC packaging despite increasingly difficult conditions facing the recycling sector in South Africa.

During Year 4 (2025) of its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme, SAVA’s recycling partners collectively recycled 587,902.48 kg of post-consumer PVC packaging, resulting in a recycling rate of 10.33%. This performance significantly exceeds the 6.5% target set for the year by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).

The results demonstrate substantial growth across the programme. The total amount of PVC packaging placed on the market by SAVA members increased by 19.71%, while the volume of post-consumer PVC packaging recycled more than doubled, growing by 138.98% compared with the previous year. As a result, the effective recycling rate improved from 5.2% to 10.33%, representing almost a 100% increase in recycling efficiency.

Recycling Sector Facing Significant Pressure

While the results are encouraging, SAVA notes that the entire recycling sector in South Africa is currently under considerable pressure.

According to industry data released recently by Plastics SA, total PVC recycling volumes declined to 19,586 tons in 2024, down from 26,100 tons in 2023. Despite this decline, the output recycling rate for PVC packaging remained stable at around 7%, indicating continued resilience within the packaging recovery system.

A number of factors are contributing to the broader slowdown in recycling volumes, including:

• Increasing pressure from cheap and sub-standard imports
• Low virgin polymer prices, which make recycled material less competitive
• A shrinking local manufacturing sector
• Operational challenges faced by recyclers
• Limited laboratory testing capacity for materials and compliance

“These challenges are currently affecting recyclers across the plastics value chain, not only PVC. We also continue to see a large amount of finished goods coming into the country in PVC packaging, and these importers are not contributing to EPR fees,” says Monique Hinds, CEO of SAVA.

Ongoing Investment in Recycling Initiatives

Despite these pressures, SAVA remains firmly committed to supporting and growing the recycling of PVC in South Africa.

The association continues to support several recycling initiatives and infrastructure investments, including financial and technical assistance to local recyclers. SAVA has also confirmed that it will continue its financial support into 2026 for post-consumer PVC recycling projects.

In addition, SAVA continues to run its vinyl flooring off-cut recycling programme, which collects installation off-cuts from flooring projects and channels them back into recycling streams. The association is actively working with recyclers and partners to develop new end-markets for recycled vinyl flooring material, helping to expand the circular economy for PVC within the construction and flooring sectors.

A Decade of Product Stewardship

These initiatives build on more than a decade of leadership through SAVA’s Product Stewardship Commitment (PSC), launched in 2011 to promote responsible PVC manufacturing and product safety.

One of the programme’s most significant milestones occurred in 2012, when South African PVC pipe manufacturers successfully transitioned to lead-free stabilisers, five years ahead of the European Union. Today, all SAVA members remain committed to eliminating harmful additives such as mercury, lead and cadmium, while strictly controlling emissions of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

Compliance with these principles is verified each year by SAVA, providing assurance that locally manufactured PVC products meet high health, safety and environmental standards.

Supporting a Sustainable PVC Future

As the industry navigates challenging trading conditions, SAVA believes collaboration across the value chain will be essential to strengthening South Africa’s recycling ecosystem.

“SAVA remains committed to supporting recyclers, investing in recycling infrastructure and expanding collection systems. Even under difficult economic conditions, we remain determined to grow the circular economy for PVC and ensure that valuable materials are kept in productive use,” Monique said.

By continuing to support recyclers, develop new end-markets and promote responsible manufacturing practices, SAVA aims to ensure that PVC remains a sustainable and widely recycled material in South Africa’s evolving circular economy.