Plastic Waste Reduction Standard Incentivizing Plastic Waste Collection and Recycling

Heather McEwan, Maggie Lee, Sinclair Vincent

27 May 2021 Road Map

1. Introduction to Verra 2. Overview of the industry in SA 3. Plastic Waste Reduction Standard 4. Questions and Answers

Poll Questions&

Q&A Verra catalyzes measurable climate action and sustainable development outcomes by driving large-scale investment to activities that reduce emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect nature. Plastic and Packaging in SA - legal framework

National Environmental Management Waste Act (Act no 59 of 2008) - amended in 2014

Objectives: ● Avoid and minimise waste ● Reduce, re-use, recycle and recover waste ● Treating and disposal (as a last resort)

National Management Strategy (2011) - revised and updated in 2019

● Eight measurable objectives ● 2019 focus on the circular economy - no longer top down, but involves all stakeholders Plastic and Packaging in SA

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

▪ Voluntary and industry led, membership fee based ▪ PET, polyoelfins (PP, HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE) polystyrene, vinyl, glass and paper an metals ▪ Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO’s) - have been set up by representatives of the industries concerned ▪ PRO’s use revenue to support work to collect, sort and recycle recyclable material by informal waste pickers and SMME’s. ▪ Consultation began in 2017 to develop a mandatory EPR system under a Section 28 Notice which has been replaced by the Section 18 notice - which is currently under consultation. ▪ Several key voluntary PRO’s in SA include - PETCO, POLYCO, Polystyrene Association of SA, SA Vinyl Association, The Glass Recycling Company, Fiber Circle, RecyclePaperZA and METPAC Plastic and Packaging in SA - recycling rates

PETCO is the oldest PRO (2004)

▪ PETCO manufactures and importers pay voluntary EPR fees

Recycling rates:

▪ Metals - 75.8% (2017) with 40% stakeholder participation ▪ Fiber Circle - 71.8% (2018) ▪ RecyclePaper ZA - 54.8% of all paper consumed was recycled ▪ Glass - 80% was diverted from landfill and 42% recycled. (In 2006 this was 18%, and 2008 42%) ▪ 4000 glass bottle banks in public spaces ▪ POLYCO - will rise to 35% in 2020 with a 20% stakeholder participation ▪ Polystyrene - 20.4% (2017) ▪ PETCO - 63% PET bottles are recycled - (in 2015 was 16% ,and in 2012 25%) with 90% stakeholder participation

https://prevent-waste.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/South-Africa.pdf SA Plastics Pact

Founding members

Business members

https://www.saplasticspact.org.za/ Poll Question 1 Guidelines for Corporate Plastic Stewardship Guidelines for Corporate Plastic Stewardship

With the support of

Have a framework for corporate Establish credible plastic footprinting & action waste reduction leadership commitments The plastic stewardship journey

Report your performance With the support of Perform mitigation ith the uppo of Account Communicate a activities claim

Year Year X X+1

Identify leadership Invest beyond the value opportunities & actions chain Activities undertaken to achieve leadership commitments

Mitigation Leadership Total footprint + activities = commitments With the support of

Plastic use Within value chain Net Zero Plastic Leakage efforts

Leakage NeNet 100% Recycled at Plastic Credits End-of-Life

Extended producer Net Circular Plastic responsibility Poll Question 2 Mitigation Plastic mitigation hierarchy activities

Actions within value chain

Redesign for reduction, reuse & recycling With the support of

Increase recycled content of products Beyond value chain investments

Increased collection & recycling Increase activities through direct company collection & investment, extended producer responsibility schemes and/or recycling plastic credit projects

Increase Increased collection activities collection through direct company investment, extended producer responsibility schemes and/or plastic credit projects Leadership Setting your targets commitment(s)

Mitigation Leadership Total footprint With the support of + activities = commitment(s)

Net zero plastic leakage

Net 100% recycled at end-of-life

Net circular plastic Guidelines for Corporate Plastic Stewardship

With the support of For further information contact: South Pole and Quantis

Link to the Guidelines Plastic Waste Reduction Standard (Plastic Standard) Objective & benefits of the Plastic Standard

Support and scale-up activities that increase plastic waste recycling and/or collection from the environment

Enables robust impact Facilitates project portfolio Addresses assessment and comparable investment decision-making social risk and transparent reporting and prioritization

Drives increased Supports corporate plastic Catalyzes availability of recycled use and waste investment in plastic feedstocks commitments and claims high-impact projects Waste Collection and Recycling Crediting

Material in nature/probable loss to nature

WASTE EPRs, PROs & Material COLLECTION WASTE REDUCTION Waste collection Open ocean collection CREDIT from environment cleanup infrastructure

“Net Zero Plastic Leakage” or similar claim Material diverted or removed from nature Waste recycled, reused or securely disposed of (e.g. in managed landfill)

Collection projects that go on to recycle the recovered materials could generate both types of credits WASTE PRODUCT DESIGN/ RECYCLING DELIVERY Waste picker Material Mechanical Chemical CREDIT IMPROVEMENTS collection sorting recycling recycling from landfill (e.g. MRF) “Net 100% Recycled at End-of-Life” or similar claim Material recycled Waste reprocessed into a product, a component incorporated into a product, or a secondary raw material Quality assurance principles

Plastic waste collected or recycled under the Plastic Program and issued as Plastic Credits must be

Conservatively Real Measurable Additional Estimated

Independently Uniquely Transparently Audited Numbered Listed Governance & development

Plastic Standard Development Committee (PSDC)

Guided development, pre-approve v1.0 of the Plastic Standard

Assessment Working Group Methodology Developer(s)

Supported development of assessment reqs Developed initial methodologies

Plastic Standard Technical Advisors

Supported specific elements of standard development on an ad hoc basis

Verra Board

Two Board members on the PSDC; approved v1.0 of Plastic Standard The Plastic Program Plastic Program Guide v1.0

Overarching Plastic Program document that outlines the process for registering projects

and issuing credits

Plastic Program Guide v1.0 Plastic Program Guide v1.0

▪ Program overview (Section 2) • Outlines the Program objectives, scope, documents and credit types

▪ Project registration & issuance process (Section 5) • Procedures for project listing, registration and issuing Plastic Credits under the Plastic Program ▪ Communications and claims (Section 8) • Outlines claim requirements and best practices for end users of Plastic Credits Plastic Standard v1.0

Provides the requirements for developing projects and for the validation and verification process

Plastic Standard v1.0 Plastic Standard v1.0 ▪ Scope • Includes a table of material categories, material sub-categories and examples including the 7 plastic types (including other plastics) and composite materials ▪ Project configuration • Includes examples of eligible project configurations ▪ Stakeholder engagement & safeguards ▪ Validation and verification requirements • Provides the requirements for validation and verification of projects Plastic Program Definitions v1.0

Provides definitions for terms used in the Plastic Program documents

Plastic Program Definitions v1.0 Plastic Program methodologies Plastic Program methodologies

Both methodologies are similar in structure to VCS methodologies

Access the approved Plastic Program methodologies here Poll Question 3 Projects using the Plastic Standard

▪ First project listed - Ocean and Land Waste Recovery, Recycling and Reuse (Thailand) • Collect and sort plastic waste from beaches, villages, schools and landfills • Provide financial incentives, training & technical support to informal and formal collectors and recycling agents • Connect entities in recycling supply chains to establish a locally integrated economy • Invest in recycling infrastructure ▪ 24 pilot projects in 2020 Rethinking Recycling in Bali

Rethinking Recycling - Reimaging Recycling in Bali - Desa Kedas Questions?

Questions & comments

Exposure Visuals, Shutterstock

Please send questions Thank you! to [email protected]

Heather McEwan - local South African Receive updates about our work in South Africa contact details: by signing up at our homepage or going to verra.org/your-email-preferences. Suite 164, Private Bag X 0002 The Fig Tree, Charlo, 6030 South Africa www.verra.org