You probably don’t give much thought to the bag your potatoes come in—but it turns out, that simple packaging has been quietly piling up in South African landfills for years.

Now, thanks to an innovative project by the Shoprite Group, that’s finally changing.

Over 1,400 Shoprite, Checkers, and Usave stores across the country have rolled out new eco-friendly potato bags, a big step toward cutting down on packaging waste and supporting local recycling efforts.

Why Old Potato Bags Were a Big Problem

At first glance, traditional potato bags looked like regular paper—so most of us assumed they were recyclable. Unfortunately, they weren’t.

These bags had a special moisture-resistant inner layer that made them incompatible with South Africa’s recycling systems.

Because of this, an estimated 18,600 tonnes of potato bags were dumped in landfills just in 2023.

And building a recycling facility specifically for this type of material? That would’ve cost around R30 million, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

A Smarter, Greener Approach

The change didn’t come from a big tech company or a government policy—it started as an internal challenge.

The Shoprite Group partnered with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to launch a leadership development programme.

Five employees joined an Action Learning Project aimed at solving the potato bag waste issue.

But what started as a seemingly simple task turned out to be much more complicated.

The moisture-resistant layer required by Potato SA—South Africa’s potato industry body—meant most eco-friendly materials couldn’t meet the necessary standards for durability or recyclability.

Six Months of Deep Diving into the Supply Chain

For six months, the team went deep.

They studied every aspect of the production and recycling process, from how the bags are made to how they’re disposed of.

They spoke with manufacturers, recyclers, and even waste pickers to understand the challenges from every angle.

They tested local and international alternatives—even explored whether old bags could be used in construction.

But nothing fit the bill for South Africa’s needs and infrastructure.

A Swedish Solution with a Local Impact

Just when things were looking stuck, help came from an unexpected source: Billerud, a Swedish paper company and one of the top suppliers of potato bag materials in the country.

Inspired by the project, Billerud created a brand-new semi-wet-strength paper that met all the durability needs for potatoes and could be recycled locally.

The first prototype didn’t quite make the cut—but after some tweaks, the updated version passed every test, including recyclability and shelf life.

The Impact Goes Beyond the Environment

This change isn’t just about greener packaging.

It’s also about supporting local communities.

Thanks to the innovation, the percentage of Shoprite Group packaging that is recyclable, reusable, or compostable will jump from 88.9% to 90%.

More importantly, if the entire industry adopts this new type of bag, it could generate over R22 million in income for South Africa’s informal waste pickers, many of whom rely on recyclables for their livelihoods.

Did You Know Potato Bags Couldn’t Be Recycled Before?

Most people didn’t. But now that they can, South Africa is one step closer to a more sustainable future—one potato at a time.