Dr Kishan Singh and Dr Ravi attended the DUT Business unit conference on Climate Change and Economic Management for a Sustainable Future on 26 February 2025. Dr Kishan Singh presented the following extract from his thesis on Global Best Practices in Post-Consumer Metal Packaging Recovery.
The world is facing a critical moment in history as we grapple with the effects of rapid population growth and environmental degradation. Industrial revolutions have historically driven population increases, but today, we are witnessing alarming trends: global population shock, excessive deforestation, soaring carbon dioxide emissions, rising global temperatures, and rising sea levels. Sadly, our growing population is outpacing the Earth’s ability to regenerate and sustain a reasonable quality of life, pushing us beyond the planet’s carrying capacity.
A shift is urgently needed, not just in how we produce and consume but also in how we think about sustainability. The Triple Bottom Line, considering people, planet, and profit, emphasises the need for responsible, long-term strategies. One such shift is moving away from the traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) to a circular economy (reduce, recycle, reuse), which maximises the value of resources by reintroducing materials back into production cycles.
In 2022, the total packaging production in South Africa amounted to 3,554,000 tons, valued at R99 billion, with metal packaging accounting for 184,000 tons (R8 billion). The forecasted recovery rate of post-consumer metal packaging was 52.81%, falling short of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s (DFFE) 62% target for 2023. This 9.19% gap highlights the need for more effective recovery practices.
A Systematic Literature Review was conducted to investigate the research question on “What are the global best practices relating to post-consumer metal packaging recovery?” 3 databases were searched that yielded a total of 1138 records that were screened using the PRISMA methodology and 85 records were included in the final synthesis. The study identified key themes such as the circular economy, global benchmarking, participation in global initiatives, and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The findings suggest that enhancing post-consumer metal packaging requires a shift toward a circular economy, leveraging metal’s infinite recyclability.
In South Africa, aligning the metal packaging value chain with global best practices is vital. This involves improving metal collection, recovery, re-melting, and recycling, while adhering to ISO14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) standards. The current Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, now in its third year, should be refined to include the post-consumer recovery value chain, enabling a cohesive recovery system that supports the UN SDGs.
The implementation of crucial performance indicators, supported by 4IR technology, is necessary to design and enforce effective metal packaging recovery models. While progress has been made, there is a clear need for further research, particularly in decarbonising the production of materials like aluminium and steel packaging.
As the world faces environmental and resource challenges, the move towards a circular economy offers a promising solution, ensuring that we can continue to use resources without exceeding the Earth’s limits. This transformation in metal packaging recovery is just one step in a much larger global movement towards sustainability.
