EPR and Membership

The final EPR Regulations were published by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). The regulations are effective as from 5 May 2021. To be compliant with EPR regulations, all producers need to register with the DFFE. To register please visit here. In terms of the regulations, it is mandatory for a producer to join (become a member) of an approved EPR Scheme/Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) and pay the relevant EPR fee or alternatively a producer can set up their own scheme.

All producers of glass and glass packaging, as per the EPR regulations, are considered ‘obliged industries’ and are encouraged to join an existing PRO such as The Glass Recycling Company for all glass packaging and develop the EPR scheme for their products. By working together to establish infrastructure and alternative systems, the objectives of the EPR legislation and the PRO’s aims can be achieved.

The glass EPR value chain includes but is not limited to:

As set out in the regulations there are many obligations that must be met by an EPR scheme/PRO on behalf of its Producer members, including but not limited to, determining an EPR fee for paper and packaging materials placed on the South African market, to meet all the scheme’s objectives, annual recycling targets, life cycle assessments, waste picker obligations and a transformation charter amongst other requirements.

The promulgation of Section 18 of the National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA) has created a level uncertainty for both PROs and Producers. In light of this, we will provide as much guidance and clarity as we can to support you with the process. It is our intention to keep the lines of communication open to ease the process. Should you be uncertain with any aspects of the EPR regulation please raise it with us soonest.

The Glass Recycling Company is an existing PRO with a 16-year track record and will represent all industry members (brand owners, importers, retailers and packaging manufacturers) who either join now or in the future.

We recommend you engage with us soonest about your glass packaging to discuss our EPR scheme and ensure that your organisation is compliant with EPR regulations. For online membership application please click here.

Please click here to email us if you require any additional information with regard to joining our EPR Scheme and we will gladly assist.

We recommend that you familiarise yourselves with the attached government regulations relating to EPR.