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The South African plastics recycling industry continues to make strides in creating a circular economy for plastics. Recent statistics from Plastics SA revealed that plastics recycling increased by 3% in 2025 to 485-thousand tons, across the packaging, building, construction, agriculture, mining, automotive and consumer goods sectors. While the use of virgin polymer decreased by 2.8% and domestic plastic consumption decreased in 2025, plastics recycling and the use of recycled materials increased. Circular plastics content in new products now sits at 22%, compared to 16% 10 years ago. These statistics highlight South Africa as a leading performer in plastics recycling and the largest plastics recycler in Southern Africa.
The plastic recycling industry has shown strong growth over more than a decade with the domestic consumption of recyclate growing by 62% over the past ten years. These figures show the industry commitment and investment in the creation of a circular plastics economy. More than 30% of recycled plastics is used in the packaging industry. Packaging remains the main growth area for the plastics sector with demand for polypropylene (PP), PET and HDPE for the packaging industry remaining strong. In addition, plastics recycling creates an estimated 111-thousand income generating opportunities across the entire value chain.
