Recycling FAQs

Our landfills are almost at full capacity and there don’t seem to be plans to build new ones, but by recycling, we can save up to three cubic metres of landfill space per tonne. That’s one reason to recycle.

When you choose to recycle, you lessen the burden on our landfills, reduce transport costs for local municipalities, contribute to less pollution and litter, and actively create a healthier, greener, and cleaner world that can be enjoyed for generations to come. Not only that, but recycling creates economic empowerment opportunities and employment – almost 100,000 jobs according to Recycle Paper ZA.

The truth is that many items can be used multiple times over. Take paper as an example. Paper can be recycled at least seven times. To keep the paper cycle going this many times, new wood fibre from new timber is needed and the subsequent plantation trees grown for this purpose help absorb carbon dioxide from and release oxygen into the atmosphere. The trees, and thus the paper and wood products, store this carbon as solid matter and so by recycling paper, we can ensure that this carbon is kept out of the atmosphere for longer. The alternative is for used paper to rot amongst other rubbish and emit gases, like methane and carbon dioxide.

And that’s just paper. Think about the positive effect that you could have on the environment if you were to recycle other items.

In our day-to-day lives, we come into contact with more things which can be recycled than those which can’t. That’s the simple truth. That said, the four main grades of recyclable material include paper, most types of plastic, bottle glass, cans, and electronic waste.

• Paper
  • White office paper
  • Coloured paper
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Newspaper
  • Magazines and books
  • Cereal boxes, etc
• Plastic
  • PET clear: clear cold drink bottles, mineral water bottles, etc.
  • PET mixed: coloured, cold drink bottles, such as Sprite, Stoney, etc.
  • Light plastic clear: plastic packaging, sandwich bags, certain detergent bottles, shrinkwrap, bubble wrap, etc.
  • Light plastic mixed: shopping bags.
  • HDPE: milk bottles and coke bottle lids.
  • Polyprop: ice-cream, butter, margarine, and yogurt tubs, as well as garden furniture, plastic buckets, etc.
• Cans
  • Food and beverage cans: aluminium and metal.
• Glass
  • Beverage glass bottles only.
• Liquid packaging
  • Milk cartons
  • Juice cartons
  • Wine cartons
• eWaste
  • Any electronic gadgets operated by electricity or battery including: computers, TVs, cellphones, electronic games, small appliances, large appliances, stoves, fridges, air conditioners, etc.

You can make a difference, even if your actions start small. We believe that by following the basic principles of “reduce”, “reuse”, and “recycle”, you’ll be able to make recycling a way of life. This is how we’ve interpreted the three Rs.

REDUCE the amount of natural resources that you consume:

• If you don’t need it, don’t buy it, because what you buy creates the demand for what is made.
• Use less water.
• Switch off the light if you’re not in the room.
• Buy products that have the least amount of packaging or that have packaging that can be recycled.
• Look for products that are made from recycled material.

REUSE what you buy at least once before you dispose of it:

• Use both sides of the paper before throwing it away.
• Reuse cardboard boxes.
• Plastic bottles can be washed out and used as a container for something else.
• Use food cans as plant pots and stationary holders.
• Use 2L coke bottles as a garden sprinkler system – the list of how to use 2L bottles is endless.
• Use old newspapers as wrapping paper.

RECYCLE whatever can be recycled by:

• Collecting used paper, plastic, glass, cans, etc.
• Take your collections to a recycling company, community collection point or participating shopping centre.
• Even if packaging says that it’s recyclable, South Africa might not have the tech to do so yet, so recycling companies won’t buy it.
• Phone us to check if you’re not sure or bring a sample of it to one of our branches so we can inspect and test the material and give you good advice.

Remade Recycling is a waste management company that develops customisable solutions for the management of your waste. We help companies of all sizes and from most industries to maximise the extraction of recyclables from their waste stream, and reduce waste to landfill. We are also intentional about addressing the landfill crisis in South Africa by focusing on waste minimisation and separation at source.

Remade Recycling has 15 branches that accumulate, sort, and bale over 600,000 tonnes of all grades of recyclable material. This material is sold to South Africa’s leading recycling manufacturers, including Mpact Group and Consol Glass. We also facilitate viable and sustainable solutions for the non-landfill disposal of non-recyclable and hazardous waste material.

Remade Recycling offers a variety of services so that we can tailor a recycling solution that suits you.

Our services include:

• Onsite waste management programmes.
• Industrial, commercial, and retail waste management solutions.
• Event waste management.
• Residential Estate recycling.
• Alternative solutions for non-recyclables.

Remade Recycling will assist with explaining how to recycle in your office and will assess if there is more to be recycled than just office paper. We can help you implement your office programme and help you to get the right containers. We also collect the recyclable material from your offices, provided you are situated within 50km of one of the Remade Recycling branches and if you collect 10-15 bags of recyclable material per week.

We recommend getting in touch so that our highly trained and professional consultant can advise you on the best solution.

Remade Recycling operates in the following areas:

• Gauteng
  • Germiston
  • Tulisa Park
  • Springs
  • Newtown
  • Wynberg
  • Randburg
  • Midrand
  • Randfontein
• Tshwane
  • Pretoria West
• North West Province
  • Rustenburg
  • Klerksdorp
• KZN
  • Durban
  • Pinetown
  • Richards Bay
• Western Cape
  • Parow

There are three basic steps to take once you’ve collected your recycling materials:

1. The materials must be clean.
2. The materials must be properly sorted.
3. Bring the collected materials to one of our branches or buy-back centres where we will weigh it and pay you according to the going price for that grade.

No, you don’t need to sort the glass into different colours.

You can leave the labels on the bottles.

We prefer to receive the bottles whole as it is safer to work with and transport. However, if you do have broken glass, the pieces must not be smaller than a R5 coin.

Remade Recycling takes most electronic waste, but not printer cartridges.

Ordinary lithium-ion batteries are not recyclable, however Remade Recycling does take car batteries and deep-cycle batteries for recycling.

It is not necessary to remove the staples from the paper, because this is separated from the paper during the pulping process at the paper mill to which we sell office paper.

There are no minimum or maximum volumes required, but keep in mind that payment is made per kilogram. The more kilograms you supply, the better.

There are seven different grades of plastic and all of them have a different value. The better your material is sorted, the better pricing you can receive. Please see our list of recyclables for all the types of plastic that we accept.

Remade Recycling buys aluminium and metal cans, including the aluminium (can) pull tabs. That said, we prefer not to buy just the tabs ad encourage you to bring us the whole can – including the pull tab.

When you bring your clean, sorted recyclable material to any one of Remade Recycling’s branches or buy-back centres, we will weigh the material and immediately pay you in cash according to the current price per kg for that grade.

Where Remade Recycling provides our full onsite waste management service, we may place collection containers which could include bulk bags for paper, plastic, cages for cardboard (k4), 30m³ containers, skips for glass, wheelie bins, etc. These containers should be filled with recyclable material and we will remove them daily.

It’s important to keep in mind that Remade Recycling does not provide collection containers at a site that we do not manage, however if the bulk material is generated and sorted by the customer for sale to Remade Recycling, an arrangement can be discussed.

A note about our containers:

• Bulk bags and small boxes for paper can be purchased from any one of the Remade Recycling branches.
• Remade Recycling does not sell bins, cages, and skips.
• Remade Recycling does not sell baling machinery or any other large equipment.

Remade Recycling does not do curb side collections and the Mpact Ronnie Recycler programme was terminated in December 2019.

Remade Recycling has 15 branches and eight buy-back centres where we buy any quantity of clean, sorted recyclable material from anyone. We buy all grades of recyclable material, including white paper, newspaper, cardboard (flat-packed), plastic, coke bottles, cans, and glass bottles (beverage bottles and food bottles).

Keep in mind that Remade Recycling pays different prices for different grades. You just need to take your recyclables to the branch or buy-back centre closest to you where it will be weighed and you will be paid in cash immediately.

We’re passionate about people taking part in the recycling revolution in any way that they can. We believe that investing in a small, medium or micro enterprise is investing in South Africa’s environmental future, the economy, and the upliftment of our people through job creation.

Here are a few ideas to help you out.

Ideas to get you started:

• Start small and build up your business: start with a small space and grow with your business.
• Consider collecting a variety: by collecting multiple waste materials, including paper, plastics, cans, and glass, you can increase your business’ profitability.
• Advertise: spread the word about your business in the community by telling people about the benefits of recycling.

Recycling is an essential part of lowering the waste that is going to our landfills, and making a positive and sustainable solution to the environment. If you would like to become an agent for Remade Recycling, then follow these five easy steps.

How to become an agent for Remade Recycling:

1. Register as a vendor.
2. Find a collection site.
3. Secure a good source of material.
4. Have enough containers to collect the material.
5. Have transport to get your collection to a Remade Recycling branch.

The simple truth is that every business generates waste. While not every business recycles, more and more companies are realising the impact their endeavours have on their immediate environments. Additionally, there is a LAW in South Africa that states that every producer of waste must take responsibility for their waste and recycle as much of it as possible (National Environmental Management Waste Act, 2008. Act 59 of 2008).

We’ve noticed that recycling efforts start with the employees, because these are the people printing on paper, drinking out of cold drink cans and bottles, and generally using the trash systems in the office. It’s happening right in front of them, inciting them to make a change. The good news is that it isn’t hard to have an impact in your office environment and you can recycle up to 90% of solid waste generated in the workplace. Not only will you reduce your company’s carbon footprint, but you could also save your business money while also earning a little extra, too!

It’s never too early to teach children to be aware of the environment and to develop an affinity for their earth. We believe that recycling is the best place to begin this journey and encourage recycling programmes that aim to get the whole school involved. If you’re interested in starting a recycling programme in your school, please contact Mpact Recycling (www.mpactrecycling.co.za) to register your school with their school recycling programme.