PETCO's History
PETCO was established in December 2004
as a Pty Ltd Company with the specific objective of promoting and improving the waste management and recycling of post consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) products on behalf of all stakeholders in the PET industry in South Africa.
Groundwork was laid five years earlier when representatives of Coca-Cola, resin manufacturers, converters and bottlers, formed the PET Committee. An early initiative was the creation of SAPR (South African Polyester Recyclers). Stakeholders, led by Coca-Cola, then decided on a more broadly based approach covering educational issues, partnerships with role-players beyond the industry, the fostering of strong PET collection streams and a widening of the recycling effort by including other recyclers in the national strategy.
PETCO is headed by a board made up of representatives of Coca-Cola, the bottlers, resin manufacturers, converters and retailers. A key challenge was the establishment of sustainable and equitable funding mechanisms for an industry-wide effort. A unique levy system has secured the voluntary buy-in of industry players. This PET recycling levy is collected at source by resin manufacturer Hosaf who add the recycling levy of R275 per ton of resin purchased. The resin manufacturers pass the levies to PETCO every month.
Someone once said that the road to success is always a construction site.
Much was achieved in terms of PET Recycling during the build-up to the establishment of PETCO in December 2004. Since then PETCO has provided millions of rands worth of financial support to PET recycling companies, created income opportunities for an estimated 26 000 people, helped to establish over 430 recovery stations throughout South Africa and is working to introduce Bottle-2-Bottle PET Recycling. And as we move forward, we continue to grow, always going from strength to strength. |
| (PFSA) The Plastics Federation of South Africa |
| The Plastics Federation represents the Plastics Industry of South Africa. The Federation members represent all sectors of the SA Plastics Industry including polymer producers and importers, converters, machine suppliers and recyclers. The plastics chain in South Africa employs over 40 000 people, and is defined as a priority sector by Government. The combined turnover of the industry is some R 35 billion per annum and consumption is approx 1,5 million ton per annum. |
| http://www.plasfed.co.za/ |
| (CCSA) Coca Cola South Africa |
In 1928 the first bottling plant and distribution centre for Coca Cola were opened in Johannesburg, providing an important base for future growth in South Africa and across the continent. Today South Africa is the largest Coca-Cola market in Africa and consistently ranks among the best performing countries in the world of Coca-Cola.
Coca Cola has spearheaded PET Recycling in South Africa, providing both the funds and leadership that led to the establishment of PETCO. |
| http://www.coca-cola.co.za |
| (SAPR) South African Polyester Recovery Scheme |
South African Polyester Recyclers (SAPR, now known as Extrupet) began collecting used polyethylene terepthalate (PET) containers and recycling them in 2001. Initially assisted by CCCSA, the Company is now one of PETCO’s leading recycling partners. Extrupet’s facility is located in Wadeville, Johannesburg.
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| http://www.extrupet.com |
| NAMPAK |
| Manufacturing the most diverse range of packaging products Nampak was involved in the early PET Committee, concerned with PET Recycling. A divison of Nampak, Petpak, supplies PET Bottles to leading national and international brands. |
| http://www.nampak.co.za |
| BOXMORE |
Boxmore Plastics is part of the Chesapeake group of companies, based in the USA. Boxmore Plastics is a specialist converter of PET.
Boxmore commenced operations in South Africa in 1996 on a greenfield site, located in Harrismith. In addition to the main factory in Harrismith, the company has subsidiary operations in Cape Town (bottle blowing) and in Mauritius (preform manufacture). Boxmore was instrumental in getting PET Recycling going in South Africa and in the formation of PETCO. |
| http://www.boxmore.co.za |
| HOSAF |
| Hosaf manufactures and distributes polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET) for the bottle and packaging market, polyester staple fibre for the traditional and industrial textile sectors, and also produces recycled PET which is used in-house as a raw material substitute. Ninety percent of the PET bottle resin is sold on the local market in the form of pellets produced in the company’s state of the art plant in Durban, to leading converters such as Xac Pet (a major supplier to ABI, bottler of Coca-Cola), Boxmore and the Astrapak group, with the balance being exported. Polyester staple fiber is produced at the Durban site and used in the traditional textile spinning sector Specialty and industrial fibres are produced at the Cape Town plant and are used for duvets, pillows and insulations. Due to the recyclable qualities of PET, the company has built a recycling plant in Johannesburg under the auspices of Hosaf Recycling with a current capacity to recycle six thousand tons of PET bottles a year (equating to approximately 4% of SA’s consumption). |
| http://www.kapinternational.com/d/hosaf.asp |
DEAT, Now DEA
(Department of Environmental Affairs) |
| The South African Government Department of Environmental Affairs develops and facilitates effective waste management measures and policies and ensures integrated pollution prevention and control. The Department has been integrally involved in PET Recycling from the start. The National Environmental Waste Act was promulgated by parliament effective 01 July 2009 with exceptions such as Voluntary Industry Waste Management Plans, which the plastics industry is currently compiling. |
| http://www.environment.gov.za |
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