Mak Plastics’ new high-capacity extruder, enabled by a R18 million Polyco partnership, marks a major step forward for KZN’s recycling industry

The new Erema RegrindPro, the first in South Africa, doubles processing to 400 tonnes monthly and enables food-grade recycling

Polyco’s R18 mil investment powers MAK recycling expansion in KZN

MAK PLASTICS has recently commissioned a high-capacity recycling extruder in New Germany, KwaZulu-Natal, marking a major milestone for South Africa’s recycling sector. The expansion was made possible through an R18 million investment and partnership support from Polyco, which enabled the installation of a new extruder and associated infrastructure.

The new machinery has doubled the facility’s processing capacity to 400 tonnes per month, strengthening local recycling infrastructure, creating jobs and accelerating the province’s transition toward a circular economy.

The official commissioning event, held on Tuesday, 7 October, was attended by the Polyco team, senior government officials, and key industry partners.

This new phase marks a significant step forward for MAK Plastics, which has grown to a team of 40 permanent employees supported by 18 interns from the Sizwe Training Centre. Together, they are enabling greater volumes of recyclate to be diverted from landfills, producing high-quality recycled pellets for manufacturers, and reducing dependence on virgin plastics, a tangible contribution to South Africa’s circular economy.

“This R18 million investment demonstrates the power of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in action – turning industry commitments into real infrastructure, jobs and environmental outcomes,” said Patricia Pillay, CEO of Polyco. “By enabling recyclers like MAK Plastics to expand their capacity, we are strengthening South Africa’s circular economy and proving that plastic waste has value when managed responsibly.”

The expansion marks a major step forward for KZN’s recycling capacity and for South Africa’s broader plastics value chain. With Polyco’s support, MAK Plastics is now positioned to play a leading role in regional plastic waste management and the development of a circular economy.

“The partnership has enabled us to take our operations to the next level. It has been instrumental in helping us expand and modernise our facility and gives us the ability to process more material, improve efficiency and contribute more meaningfully to job creation and local economic growth in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Hajira Khalid, CEO of MAK Plastics.

The machine selected, a RegrindPro system from Erema, is the first of its kind in South Africa. This pioneering technology enables the recycling of plastic waste directly back into high-quality raw material for use in food-grade and hygiene applications.

More broadly, Polyco – South Africa’s leading Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for plastic packaging – continues to scale national recycling capacity. In 2024 alone, Polyco helped divert more than 219,000 tonnes of plastic waste from landfill, bringing the total to over 458,000 tonnes since the start of EPR in 2022. These efforts have not only reduced environmental pollution but also supported thousands of livelihoods through collection and recycling initiatives.

Last year, Polyco invested R180 million into projects and initiatives across the plastic recycling and collection industry, further strengthening infrastructure, innovation, and capacity within the sector.

“Partnerships like this show what’s possible when industry, government and recyclers work together,” added Pillay. “We’re not only building recycling capacity, we’re also building a more inclusive and sustainable future for South Africa.”

With this latest investment in MAK Plastics, Polyco continues to demonstrate its commitment to driving sustainable solutions that reduce plastic waste, create jobs, and strengthen South Africa’s recycling value chains.