SA’s landfill crisis generates new waste partnership model

As Gauteng runs out of municipal landfill space, a new type of partnership between a waste management company and producer responsibility organisations (PROs) is poised to become a model for efficient material recovery, recycling and job creation.

Situated on a private landfill site in Springs, the new Tonkmeter material recovery facility (MRF) serves reclaimers, businesses and industry in the Ekurhuleni region.

Speaking at the launch, provincial waste management officer Palesa Mathibeli said Gauteng was facing a waste management crisis because municipal landfills were reaching the end of their lifespan and a number had been closed down due to non-compliance, leading to an increase in illegal dumping.

“We are quickly running out of landfill airspace because we are not diverting waste away from them,” Mathibeli said.

“So, it puts more pressure on facilities like this one. That is why we are very happy to see that our private partners are taking the initiative to support each other in addressing this crisis.”

Thanks to a significant infrastructure investment by South Africa’s longest-standing PRO, Petco, with a supporting contribution from fellow PRO MetPac-SA, the facility, when fully operational, will be capable of diverting and processing up to 600 tonnes of recyclable materials from the landfill each month.

Tonkmeter CEO Leon Grobbelaar said the landfill received roughly 5,000 tonnes of waste per month and that the aim was to extract at least 50 tonnes of that volume in combined recyclable packaging such as PET plastic, metals, and liquid board cartons.

According to Grobbelaar, this operation sees some waste collection businesses bringing baled materials directly to the MRF, which are further separated and sorted before the residual non-recyclables are taken to the on-site landfill.

Future plans include accepting materials from independent waste pickers working on the nearby Rietfontein municipal landfill site and bringing these collectors into a centralised system.

“It’s a very satisfying industry, because of job creation in our KwaThema community and taking waste out of the environment,” said Grobbelaar.

Petco’s general manager for recycling and collections, Samu Mkhize, said the project was a great example of all players pulling together to keep the circular economy working.

“Tonkmeter is not just another recycling project. It is a practical example of on-the-ground integration. It connects landfill diversion with recovery infrastructure. It integrates industrial, commercial, and informal material streams into a single operating model.”

Mkhize said an additional benefit was the cashless payment platform that allowed Petco to pay waste pickers a service fee for the PET and liquid board packaging that they collect, adding that these were the identified products for which Petco was responsible.

She said this was Petco’s largest single infrastructure investment to date, demonstrating Petco’s commitment to investing in high-value capital infrastructure projects and equipment such as sorting conveyor systems, balers and forklifts.

“Moving forward, these are the kinds of large-scale projects we want to do on behalf of our members. Co-investment with partners like MetPac-SA allows us to unlock shared outcomes, and show measurable progress against legislative expectations.”

MetPac-SA CEO Kishan Singh said he was pleased at the opportunity to support a project such as this.

“This now increases the circular economy and waste recovery in South Africa, aligning with EPR regulations. MetPac-SA will continue to support such initiatives in this country in the spirit of saving this planet,” Singh commented.

Grobbelaar said the partnership showed what was possible when industry leaders took real responsibility for the lifespan of their products.

“The Tonkmeter site is not a dump. It was designed from day one to be an integrated waste management facility – and this material recovery facility, although small, will be the crown jewel of this project.”