Mpact Recycling releases 2022 collection figures

Mpact Recycling, the collection arm of Johannesburg, South Africa-based Mpact Group, says it has broken records with the release of its 2022 figures.

The company says it collected more than 700,000 tons of recyclables in 2022, an increase of just more than 100,000 tons compared with the previous year.

Of the total 700,000 tons collected, just less than 600,000 were grades of paper and cardboard. Mpact says its efforts have contributed to preserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions in South Africa by keeping valuable recyclables out of landfills.

“This achievement is a testament to our team’s dedication to sustainability, our commitment to supporting South Africa’s recycling industry and always driving towards a truly circular economy,” Mpact Recycling Managing Director John Hunt says. “Our success in increasing our tonnage showcases the vast strides we have made as a nation in changing our behavior and moving towards a more responsible approach to recycling waste.”

The company adds its efforts have contributed significantly to reducing waste and preserving natural resources—a positive for not just the environment and the wider communities it supports, but also a benefit to the economy through the creation of jobs and income opportunities.

The company released its 2022 figures ahead of the United Nations’ June 5 World Environment Day, which serves as a reminder that peoples’ actions on plastic pollution matters and promote a transition to a circular economy.

Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), says, “UNEP will work with any willing government and business across the value chain … to mobilize private finance and remove barriers to investments … and in a new circular economy.”

Mpact Recycling’s operations include collecting, sorting and baling recyclables. As a division of Mpact Group, its branches provide a place to store, sort and bale recyclable materials collected from both pre- and postconsumer sources. In addition to its recycling operations, Mpact runs various community-facing programs, such as the Ronnie Recycler Schools Programme that aims to educate young learners about recycling and sustainability. The company also has established community drop-off sites and a Residential Estates Recycling Programme designed to provide convenient access to recycling facilities for individuals and communities across South Africa.

“As a group, we’re thinking outside the box to find sustainable solutions in order to recycle effectively and move away from the traditional linear approach to disposing of waste,” Hunt says.

Mpact Recycling has two head offices located in Tulisa Park and Germiston and 15 operational branches spread across Gauteng, the North-West Province, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.