Fibre Circle

Fibre Circle is a South African producer responsibility organisation focused on the recycling of paper and paper-based packaging. It coordinates the collection, sorting and recycling of materials such as cardboard, cartons and other fibre-based packaging on behalf of member companies in the paper and packaging value chain. The organisation operates within South Africa's extended producer responsibility framework, which requires producers to fund and support the recycling of packaging they place on the market. Fibre Circle works alongside other producer responsibility organisations such as Petco, Polyco and MetPac-SA, each covering different material streams. It funds recycling infrastructure, supports waste pickers and small collectors, and promotes public awareness campaigns encouraging paper recycling. The organisation partners with local municipalities, recyclers and industry bodies such as Plastics SA to advance circular-economy goals in the packaging sector. It also engages in initiatives tied to broader environmental observances, including clean-up campaigns. Fibre Circle's activities support South Africa's efforts to divert recyclable material from landfill and reduce the environmental footprint of the packaging industry. It emerged as part of the shift toward mandatory producer responsibility schemes introduced in South African waste legislation. Its work is closely watched as an indicator of progress in the country's paper recycling rate.