Recycling realities in Makhanda: what materials are being sorted?

In Makhanda, as in many parts of South Africa, the most commonly recycled materials include some types of plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, and metals such as aluminium and tin.

These materials are widely collected by waste pickers and sold to local buy-back centres, where they are sorted and sent to recycling facilities in larger neigbouring cities like Gqeberha or East London. PET plastic bottles (like those used for cold drinks), glass bottles, newspapers, and scrap metal are in relatively high demand due to their resale value and the existence of established recycling markets.

Paper and cardboard are also frequently collected and recycled, especially clean, dry material such as office paper, corrugated cardboard, and magazines. Aluminium cans (like cold drink cans) are particularly valuable, and waste pickers prioritize collecting them because they fetch higher prices. Similarly, glass bottles are often recycled, although the weight of glass and the risk of breakage can make it less desirable to collect without proper transport or safety equipment.

However, some materials are unlikely to be recycled in Makhanda soon, largely due to economic and logistical challenges. Items like tetra pak containers (e.g., long-life milk or juice boxes), polystyrene (used in takeaway containers), and certain multi-layer plastics (such as chip packets and sweet wrappers) are not commonly recycled. These materials have a low resale value, are difficult to clean, and are not accepted by most local buy-back centres. In some cases, the technology or infrastructure needed to process them is only available in major cities, making it unviable for small-scale recyclers or waste pickers to collect them.

Another group of items that are rarely recycled locally includes contaminated materials, such as greasy food containers, used tissues, or plastic packaging with food residue. These are often rejected by recyclers because they can spoil entire batches of recyclables. Similarly, certain types of plastic, especially low-grade, thin plastics (like bread bags, cling wrap, or black plastic trays), are unlikely to be collected because they are not accepted by many recycling companies or are too lightweight to be worth transporting.

The lack of proper sorting facilities, public awareness, and municipal recycling programmes in Makhanda also plays a role. Without consistent curbside recycling collection or community drop-off points, many recyclable materials end up in landfill simply because residents don’t separate them or waste pickers can’t access them. As a result, even items that could be recycled often aren’t — not due to the material itself, but because of a gap in infrastructure, investment, and policy support.

Emerging green initiatives in Makhanda promise to improve the range of materials that gets recycled in Makhanda. Until then, consumers can be aware of what materials to avoid purchasing and how to use sustainable alternatives.

If you do recycle materials in Makhanda and Eastern Cape, we would love to talk to you.