A joint waste management venture between packaging company Nampak and steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa has been reported by Collect-a-can to have increased food and drink can recycling in South Africa to 72%.

While the majority of cans in South Africa are made of steel and local manufacturing of aluminium cans has ceased, aluminium is still present in the can recycling process as many imported beverages are packaged in aluminium cans, says Collect-a-Can marketing manager Mathabo Phomane.

A huge 60% – 70% of the cans that are going through the recycling process are collected from landfills, between the company and the government they are aiming to reduce this to just 40%.

The bulk of the recycled cans are made into car components, window frames and computer microchips, some of the food cans are made into briquettes that are used in the mining industry as chemical alloys for separation purposes.

Phomane says that increased transportation costs, resulting from the economic downturn, have affected the recycling industry.

“The volume of cans coming in has remained consistent, but the increased cost of transport from point of collection to point of sale is a challenge,” she says.

She adds that, in rural areas, the collection points at schools and subsequent recycling-agency businesses, which are established to transport the cans to Collect-a-Can, need to be developed.

They are also working with schools to educate children on the importance of recycling. Phomane says that, since the inception of the schools programme, in 1993, significant awareness has been created around can recycling. This has assisted in raising the percentage of recovered cans to 72%.

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