Polyco: “Our social enterprise business, PackaChing, services 649+ communities and has paid out ZAR50+ million to individual waste collectors”

Exclusive interview with Francois Marais, Executive EPR Stakeholders & Projects, Polyco PRO NPC, a bronze sponsor at the upcoming Africa’s Green Economy Summit. At AGES, Francois is part of a panel discussion on “Financing Africa’s Circular Economy.”

Interview Summary

Francois Marais, Executive of EPR Stakeholders & Projects at Polyco PRO NPC, highlights Africa’s vast potential to build a thriving circular economy through sustainable waste management, collaboration, and innovation. With 40 years’ experience across the packaging value chain, Marais explains Polyco’s role in managing extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging in South Africa, supporting recycling infrastructure, community-based initiatives like PackaChing, and job creation.

He stresses the importance of separation at source, design for recyclability, and cross-border collaboration. As a sponsor and panellist at Africa’s Green Economy Summit, Polyco champions sustainability as a driver of inclusive economic growth across the continent.

Thank you for joining us. Please can we start with some background on you, Polyco and your members.

I am the executive responsible for stakeholders and projects at Polyco and I have had the privilege to work in the entire packaging value chain for the last 40 years. Polyco is a PRO (producer responsibility organisation) responsible for managing and ensuring our members, who represents brand owners, packaging producers and manufacturers, retailers, raw material producers and industry associations meets their regulatory obligations within our EPR (extended producer responsibility) scheme as approved by the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

Polyco represents all the plastic packaging streams, numbers 1 to 7, and currently has about 750 active members who contribute financially (per tonne of identified products placed on the SA market) to the funding efforts of Polyco. Polyco’s investment buckets covers; infrastructure and project investments, transformation and enterprise development, municipal collaboration, education and awareness, member and stakeholder support as well as innovation and end-use development.

Tell us more about the projects you are involved in.

Polyco funds heavily into the recycling sector and aims to create capacity within a sustainable and economically viable environment. Normally, assets such as wash plants, shredders, pelletisers, baling machines etc. are on the industry wish list.

Our investment model weaves together a blend of interest free loans, targeted grants and operational service fees, each tailored to address specific gaps in the recycling and collection landscape.

Polyco also has a community based social enterprise business model called PackaChing with the primary goal of increasing the collections and separation at source (S@S) in SA. This model currently serves 649 communities across SA and has paid out more than R50 M to individual waste collectors for their recyclables and this project advances community-based recycling initiatives and fosters environmental sustainability whilst driving economic empowerment.

How important is the continent for the future of sustainable waste management and conversion?

The African continent is of critical importance to the future of sustainable waste management and conversion, representing one of the world’s most significant, untapped, and rapidly growing areas for, circular economy development. With a fast-growing, urbanizing population and an estimated 70–80% of waste being recyclable, Africa presents a high-impact, untapped opportunity for transforming waste into economic value.

Collaboration with each other and sharing data will be critical between African countries going forward and could ensure quicker success within the continents green economy goals.

What in your view are the main challenges? And the opportunities?

Waste management services is not always available to all citizens, and communities resort to littering as a result, in most cases people just have nowhere to go with their waste, this leads to a culture of littering. S@S initiatives are key to set the landscape for improved collection and recycling preventing waste to landfill.

You are working in a system that is constantly evolving and changing. What are the main challenges in your view?

As I mentioned, design for recycling and S@S is probably the beginning of everything, clean waste (recyclables) is easier, more cost effective and more valuable for proper treatment at the end of its life, also the responsible management from producers is something that will drive towards the success of proper waste management , design for recyclability is another very important aspect that needs constant attention.

How is Africa positioned in your view to take advantage of this burgeoning opportunity?

Opportunities for creating sustainable jobs in Africa within the waste sectors is an exciting aspect – lots still needs to be done and through these projects people could find real job opportunities whilst making a real difference and contributing to the green economy in Africa.

What is your vision for this sector?

That we create a real awareness through awareness and education for citizens to become fully invested in managing our future through collaborative waste practises and proper management.

How important is green entrepreneurship for the continent in your view?

It is very important, job creation is the one aspect, but also that at grass roots level, awareness and education of citizens provides the opportunities collaborating for a cleaner and better life, with obvious benefits throughout the entire value chain.

You are part of the conference programme at the upcoming Africa’s Green Economy Summit in February in Cape Town. Can you give us a preview of your message at AGES?

The message will be that we have to work together as African countries and share our learnings as we evolve through our own unique challenges and opportunities as countries , there are many synergies between us and continent opportunities that needs to be identified and considered.

Talking and sharing is a very good start to a successful future for finding common solutions to a global problem.

You are an official AGES sponsor. What made you decide to partner with the event?

Polyco’s decision to partner with the Africa’s Green Economy Summit was driven by a strong alignment between the summit’s purpose and Polyco’s mission to advance a circular economy in South Africa.

As an organisation dedicated to reducing plastic pollution and increasing recycling, Polyco sees the summit as a powerful platform to engage with government, industry leaders, innovators, and communities who are actively shaping sustainable economic solutions. The event brings together key stakeholders who can influence policy, drive behavioural change, and scale impactful environmental initiatives.

By sponsoring Africa’s Green Economy Summit, Polyco is reinforcing its commitment to collaboration, sustainability, and long-term environmental impact supporting conversations and actions that contribute to a greener, more inclusive economy for Africa.

How important is such an event for the continent?

Events like Africa’s Green Economy Summit are critically important for the continent because Africa sits at a unique crossroads of rapid development, climate vulnerability, and opportunity.

Here’s why it truly matters:

• It brings decision-makers into one room—government, business, investors, and innovators—making it easier to turn ideas into action, policy, and investment.
• The summit helps unlock green economic opportunities, including job creation, skills development, and entrepreneurship in renewable energy, waste management, agriculture, and circular economy sectors.
• It encourages collaboration across borders, allowing countries and industries to learn from one another and scale solutions that work in African contexts.
• Most importantly, it shifts the narrative from sustainability as a cost to sustainability as a driver of growth, resilience, and inclusion.

In essence, AGES plays a vital role in helping Africa grow in a way that is future-focused, climate-resilient, and economically empowering—not just for today, but for generations to come.

Anything you would like to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to be involved in this summit, Polyco is excited to be part of the ultimate solutions for South Africa and Africa as a continent.