Eunomia partnered with the University of the Western Cape to explore the feasibility, costs and benefits of a mandatory Deposit Return System (DRS) for used beverage containers in South Africa. The study found that a DRS could deliver significant environmental and economic benefits.
The report concludes that a DRS carefully designed for the country’s circumstances could:
- Increase the collection rate for used beverage containers (especially plastic and glass) to 90%, well above the country’s current EPR targets.
- Divert an additional 305-477 thousand tonnes of beverage containers for recycling.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 119-294 thousand tonnes per year.
- Create 1.7-31.5 thousand extra jobs for waste reclaimers and boost their income by up to 38%.
- Generate an extra 4.6-8.7 thousand jobs in the formal sector.
The study involved not only modelling the costs and benefits of DRS but also workshops and interviews with waste reclaimers, informal retailers and buy back centres to gather data, share the findings and elicit feedback on DRS design options. It highlights the need for more research, along with trials and pilot phases, to reduce uncertainties and risks in designing a mandatory DRS to suit the country’s specific circumstances.
Download the main report and supplementary reports here
