Country profile

South Africa

Waste generation, collection, composition, treatment and policy statistics for South Africa.

Indicator year 2023Sub-Saharan AfricaUMIC

Municipal waste generated127.3kg per person · 2023 · World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · reported value

Collection coverage57.3%2023 · World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · population coverage

Municipal recycling rate8.4%2023 · World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · reported treatment share

Uncollected waste31.4%2023 · World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · reported treatment share

Open dumping—No published value

Sanitary landfill—No published value

Waste composition

World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · 2023 · reported material shares

Food and organics30.1%

Other materials24.8%

Metal18.0%

Glass12.3%

Paper and cardboard9.9%

Plastic5.0%

World Bank What a Waste 3.0 · 2023 · reported treatment and disposal shares

Landfill, unspecified60.2%

Uncollected31.4%

Recycling in treatment mix8.4%

Other treatment0.1%

National waste lawYes

National waste planNational Waste Management Strategy 2020

Responsible institutionDepartment of Environmental Affairs & the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Producer responsibilityYes

EPR operating statusLegally-binding regulations in place

Deposit-return systemNot reported