Africa is adapting plastics EPR to local realities

From the newsletter

As African countries expand Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems for plastics, a new UNIDO report suggests they are adapting implementation to local realities rather than following a single model. Experiences from five countries highlight diverse approaches aimed at advancing circular economy and waste management goals. 

• Plastic already accounts for an estimated 25–33% of daily waste in Africa, with rising populations and incomes expected to increase consumption and intensify waste management challenges. 

• EPR is becoming central to Africa's efforts to address plastic waste. Beyond financing collection and recycling, the approach is designed to encourage producers to support circularity. 

More details

• One of the most distinctive features identified in the report that draws insights from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia is the integration of informal waste collectors into formal recovery systems. Across the countries reviewed, PROs are working to integrate waste pickers into formal recovery systems through training, identification programmes, financial incentives and social support. For example, South Africa has introduced statutory service-fee compensation for waste pickers, while Zambia is piloting weight-based incentive schemes. Beyond integrating informal collectors, African PROs are also investing in community infrastructure. Initiatives such as buy-back centres, collection hubs and public awareness programmes are helping to address gaps in municipal waste management systems while improving collection rates and public participation in recycling. 

• The report also highlights a broader shift in the role of EPR. Rather than focusing solely on financing collection and recycling, several African Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) are supporting eco-design, packaging redesign, material substitution and the use of recycled content. Examples highlighted in the report include efforts to promote mono-material packaging, encourage the transition from coloured to clear PET bottles to improve recyclability, and increase the use of recycled PET in new products. 

• While Africa's plastics EPR systems reflect common continental realities, implementation varies considerably, with countries adopting structures suited to their own regulatory and market conditions. South Africa has 47 registered PROs in the packaging sector. In contrast, Nigeria relies on a single Producer Responsibility Organisation, the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA). Meanwhile, Kenya's non-hazardous packaging sector sits between the two models, with the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organisation (KEPRO) and the Packaging Producer Responsibility Organisation (PAKPRO) sharing the EPR mandate. 

• The differences extend beyond institutional structures to the legal frameworks underpinning them. The report notes that many African EPR systems originated as voluntary industry initiatives before evolving into mandatory frameworks. Among the five countries reviewed, EPR is mandatory in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, while Tanzania and Zambia continue to operate voluntary systems. PROs in the latter countries indicated that legal mandates would make it easier to secure industry participation and financing, highlighting the role regulation can play in strengthening EPR implementation. 

• As these systems mature, collaboration among African EPR practitioners is also increasing. This is reflected in the creation of the African EPR Network, which is designed to enable Producer Responsibility Organisations and industry associations to share implementation experiences and develop solutions suited to the continent's economic and waste management conditions. Its establishment suggests EPR is maturing beyond national programmes into a regional agenda, with countries seeking to accelerate implementation by learning from each other's successes and challenges. 

• Despite this progress, the report highlights several challenges facing Africa's plastics EPR systems. It warns that highly fragmented PRO landscapes can create coordination challenges and encourage competition for members, potentially weakening system performance. Meanwhile, weak and inconsistent enforcement remains a persistent obstacle, while voluntary frameworks continue to struggle with free-riding, allowing some producers to benefit from collection and recycling systems without contributing financially. The report also notes that limited access to reliable data, including information on products placed on the market, remains a challenge for monitoring and performance measurement. 

Our take

• Being a later adopter may prove to be one of Africa's greatest advantages. Countries can draw on lessons from established EPR systems elsewhere while designing frameworks that better reflect local economic and waste management realities. 

• Waste pickers may become one of the defining features of African circular economy policy. While many EPR systems globally were built around formal waste management structures, African countries are demonstrating how informal collection networks can be integrated into national recycling systems rather than displaced by them.