South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has published the Draft National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) 2026 for public comment, outlining updated national waste policy that could affect packaging waste management and extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks in the country.

The strategy is intended to guide waste reduction, resource recovery and circular economy outcomes over the next five years.

Updated national waste policy sets direction for packaging and waste minimisation

The draft NWMS 2026 was gazetted in Government Gazette No. 53894 (19 December 2025) under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008 (NEMWA), and is open for public comment.

The document provides South Africa’s official national waste management strategy, defining strategic priorities for the waste sector and expanding on waste streams to be managed under future regulatory and operational frameworks.

The strategy emphasises waste minimisation, circular economy principles, and the establishment of sustainable waste services.

It is structured around several strategic pillars, including circular economy and waste minimisation, effective waste services, capacity building, compliance monitoring and enforcement.

Packaging waste forms a significant part of general waste streams in South Africa, and policy developments such as this updated NWMS feed into broader efforts to reduce packaging waste generation and improve material recovery across the economy.

Extended producer responsibility frameworks and packaging compliance

In South Africa, extended producer responsibility (EPR) is already embedded in the waste regulatory framework under NEMWA, requiring producers and importers of packaging to manage post-consumer waste.

EPR regulations compel participating businesses to register with a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) and implement systems for collection, sorting and recycling of packaging waste.

The draft NWMS 2026 does not itself amend EPR regulations but aligns national waste policy with circular economy goals that reinforce EPR’s role in reducing packaging waste and incentivising sustainable product design.

Implementation of the strategy could shape long-term compliance obligations for packaging manufacturers, distributors and importers as South Africa moves towards more comprehensive waste reduction targets.

Public consultation period and next steps for industry stakeholders

Stakeholders, including packaging industry participants, waste management professionals and civil society, are invited to comment on the draft strategy.

consultation window for written submissions runs until mid-February 2026. Following this period, the government will review feedback to refine and finalise the NWMS 2026, with adoption anticipated later in 2026.

If adopted, the new waste strategy will replace the previous iteration and position South Africa’s waste management framework to meet evolving economic, environmental and regulatory demands.

Businesses involved in packaging production and supply chains should monitor the final policy and related regulatory developments, including EPR compliance, as part of ongoing waste compliance planning.