Minister Willie Aucamp: POLYCO 2026 Strategic Overview, Century City Conference

Honourable Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, DM Steve Letsike;
Ms Patricia Pillay, CEO of PolyCo;
Various CEOs of the Producer Responsibility Organisations;
Director of Environmental Affairs and Development in the Western Cape, Mr Ronald Mukanya;
Members of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning,

It is an honour for me to speak with you this morning at the POLYCO 2026 Strategic Overview. Especially because these are matters that have been close to my heart, long before I ever knew I would one day become the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Efficient waste management in South Africa remains a critical component of addressing environmental issues such as pollution, disease transmission, climate change, rodent infestations and others. In our daily lives, proper waste management is the difference between enjoying a walk in a luscious and beautiful green park versus walking around a filthy, smelly park; or driving through clean streets versus streets that are overflowing with garbage.

Many communities in South Africa have been exposed to poor waste management services for so long that it has become the norm. That has got to change. As DFFE, we carry a strategic responsibility to protect human health and the environment. Central to this responsibility is the formation of partnerships across society, including with the private sector, to support effective implementation and to influence policy development in a meaningful and coordinated manner.

Government’s collective journey is to move away from linear waste management practices towards a circular economy one in which valuable materials are continuously repurposed, one where waste is minimised, and economic opportunities are maximised to help alleviate poverty in our country.

The promulgation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations over the past five years marked a significant milestone in formally embedding circular economy principles within South Africa’s waste sector. This transition promotes material efficiency, environmental protection, inclusive job creation, and continuous improvement across the sector.

It is for this reason that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has a long-standing working relationship with South Africa’s Producer Responsibility Organisations. One of those organisations is POLYCO, who has been a consistent and valued partner in advancing our environmental management priorities, particularly in the waste management and recycling sector.

POLYCO plays an important role as a Producer Responsibility Organisation supporting the implementation of the EPR Scheme in South Africa. Your work directly supports the objectives of the National Waste Management Strategy, particularly the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover, and strengthens our broader transition to a circular economy.

The Department values POLYCO’s contribution to policy development processes, including its inputs into the ongoing review and amendment of the National Waste Management Strategy.

Since the commencement of the EPR Scheme, POLYCO has demonstrated alignment with the EPR Regulations through initiatives that increase collection and recycling rates and improve the responsible management of plastic packaging waste. Your investments in recycling infrastructure and support for innovation contribute meaningfully to strengthening waste management systems across the country. The Department also recognises the role POLYCO plays in assisting producers to meet compliance obligations across multiple plastic packaging streams.

At the same time, the Department places strong emphasis on performance against the regulated EPR targets, which remain a core measure of compliance and impact. While progress has been recorded, the Department expects continued improvement in collection and recycling outcomes to ensure that annual targets are consistently met or exceeded across all packaging categories under POLYCO’s responsibility.

In this regard, I would like to highlight that the draft National Waste Management Strategy 2026 signals government’s intention to introduce Deposit Refund Systems for non-performing EPR products or packaging streams where targets are not being achieved. This policy instrument is intended to strengthen accountability, incentivise higher collection rates, and ensure that environmental outcomes are realised. The Department therefore encourages POLYCO to sustain and enhance its performance to avoid the need for more stringent regulatory interventions.

Continuous engagement between the Department, PROs, and municipalities has yielded clear benefits. Memoranda of Understanding between PROs and municipalities provide an important mechanism to formalise collaboration and enhance service delivery in waste management and recycling. We encourage continued and expanded cooperation at municipal level, particularly in under-resourced communities.

The Department further acknowledges POLYCO’s support for initiatives that benefit waste pickers. Improving working conditions, promoting inclusion within the waste management value chain, and supporting livelihoods in the informal waste sector remain key government priorities. We view this as an important area for ongoing partnership and alignment with our broader social and environmental objectives.

Environmental education and public awareness are critical to changing behaviour and improving waste separation at source. The Department appreciates POLYCO’s collaboration on awareness campaigns, the G20 Schools competition and community-based initiatives that promote recycling and responsible waste management.

In conclusion, the Department takes note of POLYCO’s role and performance in supporting environmental management initiatives and its ongoing collaboration with DFFE. As you continue this important work in today’s strategic overview, imagine a world where we all cleaned up after ourselves, waste collection was efficient and steady in all communities, and every single household prioritized reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. I therefore call on you to continue to hold hands with us in working towards a South Africa we wish to see while proactively and urgently bringing ordinary South Africans into the fold.

We look forward to strengthening this partnership as we continue to implement EPR, improve waste management systems, and advance South Africa’s transition to a circular economy.

I welcome your insights and look forward to hearing more following today’s deliberations.

Thank you.

Enquiries:
Thobile Zulu-Molobi
Cell: 082 513 7154
E-mail: tmolobi@dffe.gov.za

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