South Africa’s packaging exhibition will highlight recycled plastics, circular-economy solutions, lightweighting and the role of plastic packaging in reducing product waste and transport emissions.
South Africa’s plastics recycling industry is continuing to expand, with recycling volumes increasing by 3% to 485,000 tonnes in 2025, according to figures from Plastics SA. At the same time, the share of recycled material incorporated into new products has increased, highlighting the industry’s progress towards a more circular plastics economy.
The latest developments will be highlighted at ProPak Cape 2026, which is scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The exhibition will showcase developments across packaging, plastics, food processing, printing and labelling, with sustainability and recycling among the key themes.
According to Plastics SA data cited by the organisers, circular plastics content in new products has reached 22%, compared with 16% a decade ago. Domestic consumption of recyclate has also increased by 62% over the past ten years, demonstrating growing demand for recovered polymers and continued investment in recycling capacity.
More than 30% of recycled plastics is being used in packaging, making the sector one of the major end markets for recovered materials. Demand for polypropylene (PP), PET and HDPE remains strong, creating opportunities for recyclers and packaging manufacturers to develop higher-value applications using post-consumer and post-industrial plastics.
The sustainability discussion will also focus on the functional advantages of plastic packaging. Properly managed plastic packaging can be reused and recycled into new products, helping retain material value beyond its initial application. Its lightweight nature can also improve transport efficiency compared with heavier packaging formats.
Plastic packaging can additionally help protect products, extend shelf life and reduce food waste by providing resistance to moisture, contamination, UV exposure, breakage and other sources of product damage. These properties are particularly important for food, pharmaceutical and household-product supply chains.
The exhibition will place significant emphasis on the technologies needed to strengthen circularity, including plastic recycling, sustainable packaging design, lightweighting and producer-responsibility initiatives. Seminars hosted by the Institute of Packaging South Africa will examine sustainability alongside new products, technology and automation.
For the plastics and packaging industries, ProPak Cape provides an opportunity to demonstrate how recycling and material efficiency can be combined with packaging performance. The increasing use of recycled polymers also creates stronger end markets for recovered material, supporting the wider plastics recycling value chain.
The event’s focus reflects a broader shift in South Africa’s plastics sector from viewing sustainability only as a waste-management issue toward building a circular plastics economy in which packaging materials are collected, recycled and returned to productive use.
With recycling volumes rising and recycled content becoming increasingly important, ProPak Cape 2026 is set to provide a major platform for South African and international companies to showcase technologies and solutions supporting the next stage of sustainable plastic packaging.