The impending Section 18 regulations of the Waste Act are set to permanently alter the operating landscape for many South African industries – with a significant shift from voluntary to mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR means producers will be legally obligated to take financial and/or operational responsibility for collecting, sorting and treating their … [Read more...]
PET plastic bottles crest SA’s recycling wave
As the global movement away from single-use plastics gathers momentum, South Africa continues to make significant strides in its PET plastic recycling efforts. According to the latest statistics released by national industry body PET Recycling Company (PETCO), 98 649 tonnes of post-consumer PET plastic bottles were recycled last year alone, saving 612 000 cubic metres of … [Read more...]
What happens to most of our PET bottles?
What is the largest end-use market for recycled PET plastic (called rPET) in South Africa? Polyester stable fibre. Propet is a polyester fibre manufacturer which produces fibre from recycled PET plastic bottles. Did you know that Propet is committed to cleaning up South Africa’s landfill sites by converting waste into high quality polyester fibre and promoting sustainability … [Read more...]
6 Ways to beat plastic pollution this World Environment Day
5 June marks World Environment Day, a day recognised by over 143 countries who are concerned with the protection of our environment. First held in 1974, World Environment Day has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife … [Read more...]
Water relief efforts intensify amid national drought
A wave of volunteers are bringing water to drought-stricken areas of our country. The South African plastics industry has joined in, with the Maitland office of Plastics|SA becoming a collection point for water donations made by members of the public and businesses from Cape Town’s southern and northern suburbs. “Low rainfall in parts of South Africa has caused severe … [Read more...]
An important time of year to be mindful of waste
Most of us will generate 25 percent more waste during the holidays as compared to the rest of the year. During the excitement of the holidays, it’s easy to forget about the extra waste that is generated and how everyone can play an important part in reducing its impact on landfills. When it comes to trimming waste and conserving resources, recycling plastic bottles is an … [Read more...]
99% of all seabirds will have ingested plastic by 2050
Most seabirds have already eaten plastic in the oceans, and scientists project that 99 percent will have done so by 2050. Plastics are pervasive in the world's waters due to pollution, and birds - including albatrosses, penguins and gulls - can mistake brightly colored bottle tops or other fragments for food. Birds can become sick and die if they ingest too much … [Read more...]
Get recycling to make a difference in your community
Do you love where you live? Is your environment clean, healthy and free of litter? Are you helping to improve the appearance of your community? Even in highly built-up and poor areas, each of us can make a difference as individual. Every little bit helps – each of us can make a contribution to looking after the environment by recycling packaging materials and other … [Read more...]
Play your part in plastic recycling
Ever wondered what happens to your plastic bottles after you’ve discarded them? Most of them are thrown into rubbish bins and end up in one of South Africa’s strained land fill sites. A more viable and environmentally friendly alternative is to deliver them to the plastics recovery stations at municipal drop-off centres, for recovery and recycling. Alternatively, participate … [Read more...]
The story of PET
You remember that PET stands for Polyethylene Terephthalane - what most beverage bottles are made of. Watch ‘The Story of PET’. “We hope that this video is informative and sparks debate with all those who see it” says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO. ‘The Story of PET’ details the journey of a PET bottle from the time it is received at the Recycling Plant, to where the bottles … [Read more...]
Chill out, but don’t forget the bottles
Relax. Unwind. Chill out. But don’t forget the bottles. Taking time out in our glorious South African summer is thirsty work. And the most convenient way to quench that thirst is with the water or soft drinks bottled and chilled in store fridges everywhere. But after cracking open the top and drinking the contents, please remember that the bottle your water or soft drink … [Read more...]
Bottle to bottle a major achievement
Did you know that in our country all the used PET containers 'your clear beverage and water bottles' collected for recycling are recycled into local products? Unlike many other countries, we don't export these resources to China, but create mainly fibre and more recently new foodgrade packaging. This means that as more and more post consumer PET bottles are collected, so … [Read more...]
Plastic recycling: moving & shaking our world
We don't realise how lucky we are in this country. Did you know that almost all our PET (clear) plastic beverage bottles collected are recycled into a local end-use and not exported to China, as is done by many other countries? This means that as more and more post-consumer PET bottles are collected, so end-use markets need to expand and develop. The largest end-use market … [Read more...]
