Some years mark progress. 2025 marked a turning point.
For the first time in ERA’s history, South Africa’s leading e-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation surpassed its national collection targets – not narrowly, but at 115%. A twenty-two-fold increase in collection volumes since 2021. A landfill rate reduced to a near-zero 0.27%. A producer membership that has more than doubled in three years to 104 members spanning WEEE, Lighting, and a newly activated Battery sector.
The 2025 Annual Report is the story of what happens when deliberate investment in infrastructure, people, and partnerships compounds over time. It documents a 50%-plus expansion of ERA’s national collection network, the integration of over 1,600 informal waste reclaimers into the formal circular economy, and the creation of 150 new green jobs – bringing the cumulative total to 480 since inception.
But more than the numbers, this report captures a shift in ambition. ERA is no longer building its foundation, it is scaling it – moving from bespoke projects to systemic, nationwide integration, and from compliance milestones to genuine circular economy leadership.