Packaging alone consumes more plastic than all other South African industries combined
Share of total domestic plastics consumption by sector, South Africa, 2024 (% of 2.1 million tonnes)
~60%
of all plastic leakage into the environment linked to packaging
2.1m
tonnes of total plastics consumed in South Africa, 2024
Packaging dominates South Africa's plastic consumption — more than the next six sectors combined — and because virtually all of it becomes waste within months of use, its environmental toll is even more disproportionate than its volume suggests.