How Packa-Ching® is reshaping waste management in South Africa
AS SOUTH AFRICA continues to build on its progress in waste management, innovative partnerships and community-based models are playing an increasingly valuable role in supporting and enhancing existing systems. One such initiative is Polyco’s Packa-Ching division, which over the past eight years has complemented municipal waste services by extending recycling with collection services to communities that have historically had limited infrastructure or access to creating a job from recycling and collection. This programme has become a recognised model for inclusive, community-led solutions that promote both environmental responsibility and local economic development.
Packa-Ching operates through mobile and static collection units that make it easier and more convenient for informal waste reclaimers to participate in collection and recycling activities. By bringing services directly to and considering the inclusion of communities, the initiative helps reduce waste going to landfill and minimises illegal dumping, while also contributing to the growth of South Africa’s circular economy.
Its approach demonstrates how collaboration between nonprofits, local entrepreneurs and businesses, and government partners can deliver practical, scalable results that benefit both people and the planet. The model enables enterprises and operators to collect all types of recyclables, with a core focus on diverting plastic packaging waste in alignment with national environmental goals.
At the heart of Packa-Ching is its commitment to community empowerment and social inclusion. The initiative works with locally B-BBEE-owned collection and recycling enterprises. These partners are contracted to operate collection units and are supported with training, business development, infrastructure or equipment and the Weigh Pay tool to report on their tonnage and financial performance. This structure not only builds small business capacity but also aligns with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations, which call on producers to work with historically disadvantaged individuals in managing the post-consumer material recovery process.
Weigh-pay model
A key enabler of participation in the Packa-Ching system is the Weigh-Pay model developed by Polyco. Through this system, reclaimers are paid for recyclable materials collected and delivered to Packa-Ching units. Payments are calculated based on weight, recorded monthly and monitored by the enterprise operators who are trained in accurate reporting.
Data collected through Weigh Pay is securely managed and accessible only by authorised enterprise operators and the Packa-Ching team to ensure transparency, traceability, and accurate reporting. This model has proven effective in encouraging consistent participation from communities while ensuring that materials collected are traceable and accounted for within the national recycling framework.
In addition to its social and economic impact, Packa-Ching contributes meaningfully to environmental outcomes. The proper collection of plastic waste helps prevent pollution in rivers, streets, and public spaces, supporting broader goals to reduce environmental leakage and landfill dependence. Recovered materials are processed through local recyclers, closing the loop on plastic packaging and advancing South Africa’s transition to a circular economy. As landfill space becomes increasingly scarce and environmental pressures mount, initiatives like Packa-Ching offer a proactive and sustainable way forward.
Since its launch in 2017, Packa-Ching has demonstrated tangible results. Enterprises have been established in all South African regions, creating jobs and generating income for thousands of reclaimers. The programme has diverted significant volumes of recyclable waste from landfi ll, supported entrepreneurship, and helped embed recycling into community practices. Increasingly, Packa-Ching enterprises are engaging with schools, offering environmental education, placing collection infrastructure, and promoting youth participation in recycling. This has proven highly effective in establishing long-term behavioural change while increasing collection volumes and encouraging environmental awareness from an early age.
Eight years in numbers: a summary of national impact
Between 2017 and December 2024, Packa-Ching launched 34 six-metre mobile units and 12 four-metre units, supporting operations across all nine provinces. These efforts have resulted in the creation of 132 jobs as collectors, sorters, or drivers for the enterprise, with salaries and support provided through the YES (Youth Employment Service) initiative. In terms of environmental impact, over 27 million kilograms of waste diverted from landfill. This illustrates the programme’s crucial role in diverting waste from landfill, reducing pollution, and recovering valuable materials for the circular economy. The weigh-pay model has directly benefited participating communities, with more than R27 million paid out to those contributing towards recyclables.
Driving impact through Polyco member contributions
At the core of Packa-Ching’s success is the unwavering support and funding provided by Polyco’s contributing members committed to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and a thriving circular economy. These member companies have been instrumental in enabling the national roll-out of Packa-Ching, providing the financial backbone required to launch, operate, and sustain mobile and static collection units across the country. Their contributions fund critical components such as infrastructure, enterprise development, training, and community engagement. By investing through Polyco, members are not only fulfilling their regulatory obligations but are actively building a legacy of environmental stewardship and social impact. The success of Packa-Ching stands as a direct reflection of what is possible when industry collaborates with a purpose to create inclusive, scalable, and solutions-driven interventions that benefit both people and the planet.
Strategic sponsorship support driving impact
Since the programme began in 2017, Packa-Ching has benefited from invaluable sponsorship contributions from industry leaders such as Sasol and Shoprite. Sasol’s support, particularly in the form of fuel sponsorship, has played a critical role in expanding the initiative’s reach and operational sustainability. Shoprite has been instrumental in supporting job creation, contributing to the successful launches and operations of Packa-Ching units (23), helping enterprises build stable businesses and extending recycling services into more communities and schools.
National roll-out of Packa-Ching units
Since its inception, the Packa-Ching programme has expanded significantly across South Africa, launching collection units in both rural and urban areas to support inclusive access to recycling collection infrastructure. These units are designed in two primary configurations (4m and 6m trailers) each tailored to meet the operational needs of local collection enterprises.
The 4m Packa-Ching units are compact and highly mobile, ideal for areas with space constraints or lower waste volumes. They serve as effective entry-level collection units, especially suited for emerging enterprises or smaller communities. Conversely, the 6-metre Packa-Ching units offer greater storage capacity and are often allocated to more established operators or higher-volume collection areas. This allows for longer collection runs, reduced frequency of offloading, and a stronger visual brand presence.
As of 2025, the national footprint of Packa-Ching includes independently contracted 46 operational units distributed across all nine provinces. Packa-Ching units are currently active throughout the country, demonstrating their flexibility and scalability across varying geographic and socio-economic contexts.
