PETCO and POLYCO once again joined forces to host a workshop titled Smart Design for Recycling. This was a follow up workshop in the highly successful series hosted over the last few years looking at sustainable packaging and the journey to recyclability by design. A brief synopsis of the day’s proceedings, which saw over 50 eager participants in attendance, below:

Sheryl Ozinsky of POLYCO kicked off the day’s proceedings with an update of the organisation’s progress and unpacked Smart Design for Recycling issues. She summed up her presentation stating “ Its not about sustainable packaging but the role of packaging in sustainability” urging participants to rethink and redesign how we produce and consume.

Cheri Scholtz of PETCO gave an update on PETCO’s activities, outlined the challenges for  Bottle 2 Bottle recycling and the way forward. She highlighted the need for thinking by designers about the entire value chain, the need for better Brandowner/ consumer dialogue. Leaving food for thought in the statement that “just because its technically recyclable somewhere in the world doesn’t mean its recycled in our own backyard”.

Steve Cheetham of Atlantic Plastics gave a very spirited presentation on Polyolefin Recycling Challenges &  Opportunities and pleaded to designers to design with Cradle to cradle thinking in mind. He urged brandwoners and retailers to mark their packaging, indicating the correct polymer groups if the market wants to see a proper post-consumer recycled plastic bag. He ended stating that the growth he sees would be in post-consumer recycled carrier bags.

Elma Pollard of the Green Times gave feedback on a brief survey she conducted with her network on what enviro-labelling and the polymer identification codes mean to consumers, what concerns them regarding recycling and confusion in the market. She concluded with a powerful statement that perhaps the industry should move away from polymer identification codes, to packaging types….showing consumers what packaging type can be recycled and where to take it.

The Converter/ Brandowner Conversation was unpacked in an informative presentation by  Rowan le Roux of Polyoak, titled Divergent Expectations. Rowan highlighted the need to balance the entire lifecycle of a product and take divergent needs into consideration holistically. He emphasized the dire need for more knowledge sharing with packaging designers.

The workshop was concluded by Alison Davison of the City of Cape Town who unpacked the City's current initiatives around waste minimisation and recycling as mandated by the Waste Act. She emphasized the need for smart labelling, training on sorting and information sharing with residents on separation at source, what is recyclable etc. She emphasized the need to keep it straight and simple (KISS) and concluded that collection and waste management from a City perspective is not an instant process but an evolved one- and that consultation with all industry players is key.

The day’s proceedings will be unpacked further and made available via a press release in due course, for a copy of the presentations see http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=11#my_pace

Note our next workshop will be held in Johannesburg on 23 May 2013.

The forthcoming week is proving to be quite exciting in the green arena. Today marks 43 years since the first Earth Day celebration. Earth Day is a global movement held annually on April 22nd to promote awareness of the Earth's environmental issues. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the planet. Earth Day is celebrated around the world by people from different backgrounds irregardless of race, gender, nationality or faith. It is an occasion for the world's citizens to commit to building a safer, healthier, cleaner and sustainable world.

Learners of Lethulwazi Secondary School in Vosloorus celebrated the day with us as we launched the annual PENSchools recycling competition with them at the school’s morning assembly. The exciting competition is a result of a partnership between PETCO, Nampak and WESSA Eco schools. This partnership will support Lethulwazi Secondary School (Vosloorus); Amogelang Secondary School (Soshanguve); Nkumbulo Secondary school (Springs) and Lebohang Secondary School in Boipatong, Vanderbijlpark with their efforts to recycle and sort waste.

Notably, today also marks the beginning of Green Office Week which takes place from 22 to 26 April. The theme for 2013 is “Lead the Team. Keep it Green”

Green Office Week and Earth Day aim to raise awareness of the earth’s environment, both days also highlight how climate change is not a remote problem but it is one that impacts people, animals and various environments around the globe on a daily basis. For more information on how you can make your office greener see: http://www.greenofficeweek.co.za/assets/SiteEngineManager/gow%202013%20toolkit.revised.pdf

PETCO, in collaboration with PRASA and The City of Johannesburg proudly sponsored a ground breaking workshop for members of the different cooperatives that are currently driving the separation at source projects with Pikitup.  Roelf de Beer, Project Manager of Pikitup, believes that the workshop helped to create entrepreneurs who are able to operate in conducive and social environments.  This has also helped to create jobs which continue to enhance developments in the recycling industry.

The City of Johannesburg’s waste management company Pikitup has established a variety of projects in an effort to reduce the waste volumes in Metropolitan areas.  Separating recyclables at household level is a requirement in terms of the National Environmental Management Waste Act which was introduced in March 2009.  The National Waste Management strategy requires all metropolitan municipalities, secondary cities and large towns to initiate programmes for waste separation at source by 2016.  Pikitup is currently leading the pack with their current separation at source projects.

Approximately 949,000 households are being targeted for the city wide roll out of the separation at source project; this is set to be completed by June 2016.  Some of the targeted residential areas include: Avalon; Diepsloot; Ivory Park; Marlboro; Midrand; Norwood; Orange Farm; Randburg; Roodepoort; Selby; Southdale; Waterval and Zondi.

Pikitup hopes to recycle 160 000 tons of recyclable waste over a 4-year period.  The organization is set to reduce waste that ends up in landfill through waste minimization and recycling.  A 20% target of general waste has been set for 2016.  Establishing a recycling economy forms part of the city’s Growth Development Strategy (GDS), as a result, Pikitup has been tasked to focus on the reduction of general waste to landfills through waste minimisation and recycling initiatives with the emphasis on the separation of recyclable waste at source.

for more information on the program see www.pickitup.co.za.

PETCO hosted an entrepreneurial workshop for 25 waste pickers from the Sasolburg area, on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 at the Sasolburg Fire Station.  Waste pickers are individuals who make an independent living by reclaiming recyclable materials from the waste stream.  They earn an income by selling the various recycling materials to reclaiming companies. 

The workshop was focused on giving the Reclaimers the skills they need to manage their small businesses and the transactions that happen when they sell their materials.  PETCO Category B Manager, Belinda Booker explained the importance of PET plastics recycling and the role that collectors play in the recycling process.  In addition, Belinda also highlighted how individuals could maximize the business opportunities by working together to retrieve and sort more recyclable materials in order to receive better prices.

PETCO is working closely with the Metsimaholo Municipality, Free State Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs to ensure that waste pickers in the Vaalpark area have the adequate resources in order to sustain themselves and their families financially.  Some of the waste pickers have little formal education, while others obtained higher educational levels but couldn’t find employment elsewhere.  These waste pickers share a commitment to work hard in order to support themselves and their families.  They are also reducing the space at rapidly filling landfill sites.

Johan Hardy, Regional Manager of Empowerment Services at the Free State Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs assured the waste pickers that they have his department’s full support because they were key role players in the informal economy.  “Never underestimate the importance of what you do; you guys make vital contributions to your village, town, city and country from ecological, social and economic perspectives.” He said.

Bonke Abantu Recycling and Waste Management is a proud part of the PETCO family. PETCO sponsored the organization with a bailing machine some time back and as a result they have managed to collect 143 850 kg of PET between January and October 2012.    The company which is based in Witbank, was established in 2005 by Hannalie and her husband Nick Pienaar. Hannalie and Nick decided to join the recycling industry because of the waste collection challenges in Witbank; they currently service Mpumalanga, Witbank and Middleburg.   

Bonke Abantu values all their clients who range from various corporate companies and informal reclaimers.  They currently provide training which gives a broad overview of the importance of recycling as well as identifying the different recyclable materials.  The organization has also identified 200 elderly women in the Witbank Township who collect recyclables, the ladies are given bulk bags and once the bag is full, a truck is dispatched to collect the material and give compensation for all the material which has been collected.

PETCO is proud to be a part of Bonke Abantu Recycling’s success story and we are constant dialogue on ways that we can support and grow this organisation and its members, to increase collection but also empower women in this region.

Cheri Scholtz recently attended the Western Cape National Business Initiative Annual Members and Stakeholders Feedback Session and found many synergies……

Since its establishment in 1995, the NBI has been an advocate for the collective role of business in support of a stable democracy, growing economy and healthy natural environment. As one of close to 60 global regional partners to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the NBI provides a platform for business leadership and a vision of how companies can contribute to shaping and achieving a sustainable society. The initiative consists of a voluntary group of leading national and multi-national companies (some of whom are PETCO members too), working together towards sustainable growth and development in South Africa through partnerships, practical programmes and policy engagement. PETCO will explore membership options so that we can engage more frequently and leverage partnerships.

Dr Marc van der Erve was a guest speaker at the event, and his presentation highlighted the essence of an organisation being the sum of the behaviours of its members. He used the analogy of a slip stream and said leader’s need to ask what slipstream they can give to their team. His organisational development model has 4 stages of awareness – transformer, builder, grower and confronter – all organisations go through these stages at various times, and different personalities are best suited to drive organisations during these cycles. Visit his website for a free downloadable tool to analyse the cycle of leadership in your organisation. It’s thought provoking. www.marcvandererve.org

In a pro-active attempt to include the PET thermoform sector in PETCO, and to find a way forward so that this sector will be compliant within the Paper and Packaging Industry Waste Management Plan, PETCO has undertaken a study to understand the various challenges to PET thermoform recycling in overseas markets and how this could apply in our market. The synopsis of PET Thermoform Recycling in Europe, the USA and Canada shows that globally there is a move towards the inclusion of PET Thermoforms into the PET Bottle recycling stream as a preference to developing new infrastructure to deal with thermoforms.

Critical technical issues identified included

•             Excessive contamination caused by “look‐alike” packages made from PLA, OPS, PVC and PETG affecting sorting and bale contamination

•             Pressure sensitive labelling and the amount and type of adhesive used

•             The use of fluorescers in some imported PET packages

•             Mechanical engineering retrofits to allow the different shaped packages to flow freely through reclamation plant technologies

Notably the Association of Post-consumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) has developed a model specific for PET Thermoform bales in an effort to produce a standard that should be generally accepted by most recyclers . They have also developed a Thermoform label testing protocol to help identify an adhesive that satisfies both the need for labels to adhere, and the need for them to be removed prior to recycling.

The synopsis along with queries relating to the South African market, together with a consultation document was sent to interested parties for comment.   Should you wish to take tray in hand and contribute to the study please contact Oscar Baruffa at Oscar.baruffa@petco.co.za

The SANS 1548 Standard, titled “Use of recycled plastic materials intended to come into contact with food” is currently being developed in South Africa.  The standard covers the use of recycled plastics for food-contact applications.  Part 1 is specifically aimed at rPET.  This standard is being developed by the SABS together with polymer producers, retailers, convertors, brand owners, recyclers and industry bodies, including Plastics|SA and PETCO. Steady progress has been made in drafting the standards which will help stimulate the uptake of rPET in food applications and gives brand owners the peace of mind that the recycling process and the subsequent recycled material complies to specific requirements. We would like to see more PET converters involved in this process. Currently the Technical committee consists of Thero Malumane- SABS, Annabe Pretorius- SAPRO, Chandru Wadhwani - Extrupet, Charles Muller- Astrapak , Etienne Skein - Polyoak  , Irene Jacobs- CCSA, Johan Visser- NAMPAK , Karen Vokes -CCSA , Kiril Dimitrov - Woolworths , Nontete Nhlapo- NMISA , Sibongile Chiumya- CCSA , Peter White- Hosaf and Oscar Baruffa- PETCO. For more info contact Oscar Baruffa of PETCO Oscar.baruffa@petco.co.za

The European Commission has launched a Green Paper aiming to initiate structured discussions on making plastic products more sustainable throughout their life cycle and reduce the impact of plastic

The Green Paper focuses on the role that plastic plays in many industrial processes and applications, and the potential economic gains of higher recycling rates. The European Commission aims to introduce better framework conditions to support eco-design and environmental innovation, with waste prevention and recycling factored in to the design of plastic products.

The Green Paper aims to gather facts and views in order to assess the impacts of plastic waste and define a European strategy to mitigate them. Stakeholders are invited to contribute their views on whether, and how, existing legislation should be adapted to deal with plastic waste and promote re-use, recycling and recovery of plastic waste over landfilling. Views are also sought on the effectiveness of potential recycling targets, and of economic measures such as landfill bans, landfill taxes and pay-as-you-throw schemes. The Green Paper also asks how to improve the modular and chemical design of plastic to improve recyclability, how to reduce marine litter and whether there is a need to promote biodegradable plastics.

The consultation, includes a total of 26 questions and  will last until the beginning of June 2013. The result will feed into further policy action in 2014 as part of a broader waste policy review, which will look in particular at the existing targets for waste recovery and landfill as well as an ex-post evaluation of five directives covering various waste streams.

More information on the Green Paper can be obtained http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-201_en.htm

Or  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/plastic_waste_en.htm

2012 marked a period of continued achievement for the PET Plastic Recycling Company (Pty) Ltd (PETCO) and its’ 27 signatories. This activity has contributed to the increased recovery and recycling of PET plastic beverage bottles, and the diversion of material from landfill.

We are pleased to announce that post-consumer plastic beverage bottle recycling volumes in South Africa grew by 18% year on year in 2012. The recycling rate rose from 42% in 2011 to 45% in 2012, whilst the local market consumption of PET grew from 145 000 to 166 000 tonnes. By recycling 45% of post –consumer beverage PET, we achieved a full 1% more than what was targeted for 2012. Recycling volumes increased from 42 562 tonnes in 2011 to 50 280 tonnes of post –consumer PET bottles being recycled in 2012 –a 7718 tonne increase. Significantly, PETCO achieved these results at the lowest Rand per kg PET recycled cost to date.

What does this mean in layman’s terms? With approximately 39 bottles in a kilogram, PETCO facilitated the recycling of over 1.9 billion PET plastic beverage bottles in 2012, that’s approximately 5.3 million bottles each and every day.

Close to R 193 million was paid for sorted, baled bottles delivered to recyclers and approximately R 422 million was injected into the local economy through the sale of recycled PET for downstream products.  

From an environmental perspective, by recycling 50 280 tonnes of PET plastic beverage bottles, 75 420 tonnes of carbon[1] was saved. This is the equivalent of the amount of carbon sequestered in a year by cultivating 17 957 hectares of spekboom[2].  By recycling this amount and reducing the volume of post-consumer PET plastic in the waste stream, 311 736 cubic metres of landfill space[3] was saved, that’s the same volume of just under 125 Olympic sized swimming pools[4].

We could not have achieved this without the support of their collectors and contracted service providers, Extrupet, Kaytech and Sen Li Da who combine collection, recycling and end-use in their PET value chain. Furthermore, the financial support that we provide to our contracted service providers ensures that post-consumer beverage bottles are collected, that there is an end-use market for them and facilitates the expansion of both recycled PET fibre (Bottle 2 Fibre ) and recycled PET for food grade(Bottle 2 Food grade) packaging markets.

What lies ahead?

This year PETCO celebrates its 8th anniversary. The 2012 results serve as an affirmation of the efforts of our members and as a benchmark for improvement in 2013. There is still much work to do to capture the remaining percentage of bottles that were not collected and with the post –consumer PET recycling targets set to rise to 58% in 2017, with a growing market size, increasing the volume of bottles collected for recycling is thought to be the best method of achieving this. We set recycling targets for 5 year window periods, thus knowing what we are looking to achieve, growing the industry by an additional 5 000-6 000 tonnes per annum. 2015 will be a milestone year, with PET recycling targets set at 50%, that’s half of all post-consumer beverage PET in the market. A step change is required to meet our targets in years to come, as the Bottle 2 Fibre market is reaching saturation additional investment is required in Bottle 2 Bottle capacity- which involves the specialised recycling of clean bottles to produce recycled PET pellets that can be used in the manufacture of new bottles. We would need to up collection rates to get feedstock for this new end use and that’s where the challenge lies for us, this would involve seeking opportunities to improve collaboration across the supply chain as well as with municipalities, collectors, industry and consumers.   

Innovating the Way Forward…..

We are of the opinion that creative South African solutions are required and opportunities lie in various arenas and that growth needs to be economically feasible and at an affordable cost to consumers. There is a need for more visible, accessible infrastructure  in the form of drop of facilities, buy back centres and materials recovery facilities, this enabled by increased investment in the recycling sector- making it a bankable sector. Modern thinking is needed around efficient, integrated collection systems that work. Overseas studies have seen that providing a smaller container for general waste, a larger container for recyclables, decreased frequency of collection ( i.e. fortnightly instead of weekly), door to door collection, kerbside collection and separation at source, promotion of higher quality service and incentives such as charging for the quantity of residual waste left out improves participation. Increased awareness and education of consumers around reduction, reuse and recycling is also key, with social media being used to promote behaviour change. We also see the role of training and mentorship being critical, supporting the existing collectors and facilitating the emergence of entrepreneurs and newcomers to the collection business. Partnerships with industry stakeholders are also critical, with the opportunity to improve collaboration across sectors thus tapping into knowledge, resources and systems.  Lastly there is a need for constant innovation in the field of design (for recycling) ensuring that bottles produced are in fact recyclable, improvement in package labelling enhancing consumer awareness, resulting in recyclable bottles being recycled, or are easily recycled, instead of going to landfill as well a pioneering in the identification of new end use markets for recycled PET which ultimately will draw material through the system- as plastic bottles are not trash they are a valuable technical nutrient in many new products . We look forward to innovation in this arena, the establishment of new markets and products that translate to new Category A project applications for PETCO.

2013 is set to be a ground-breaking year if progress is made in any, or all of these arenas- and this coupled with renewed interest in recycling – driven both by the business sector’s embrace of extended producer responsibility, finalisation of the Paper and Packing Industry Waste Management Plan and by the public’s concern about the environment – can lead to realisation of these targets, resulting in enhanced economic development , job creation, reduction of poverty and setting South Africa on a more sustainable growth path.

View a list of the PETCO shareholder members under membership. These are the companies that voluntarily fund and drive PET recycling in South Africa. We encourage you to ensure that your favourite brands are participating, because that means that you too, are part of this chain reaction!

For the latest Annual Review in the digital library at www.petco.co.za.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can be dubbed as a necessary step for various industries to become more responsible corporate citizens. As a principle of product policy, EPR was first introduced in the early 90s in an attempt to address the lifecycle issues of products with a specific focus on what happens to them at the end of their life. In essence, EPR is a policy approach under which producers accept significant responsibility (financial and or physical) for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.

A target oriented approach is used for different EPR programmes, instead of a more traditionally controlled regulation. This is achieved by extending the responsibility of producers beyond their factory gates. In some programmes economic incentives are set in order to achieve set targets for collecting, re-using and recycling post consumer products.
From a waste management perspective, an EPR programme helps to reduce the financial and physical burdens which are placed upon waste management authorities. An improved product design coupled with infrastructure development for post-consumer collection and recovery can ideally facilitate closing a part of the material loops.

The PETCO model is built on the simple principle of establishing an industry-driven and -financed environmental solution for PET and has proven to be sustainable. By taking responsibility for post-consumer PET recycling, PETCO imposes accountability over the entire life cycle of PET products and packaging which means that manufacturers, importers and/or sellers of PET packaging are financially and physically responsible for such packaging material after its useful life.

According to PETCO CEO, Cheri Scholtz "PETCO's performance is evidence that the case for PET recycling is strong, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can play a powerful role when an industry voluntarily embraces these principles and subscribes to a triple bottom line approach where financial, social and environmental performance is sought".

A recycled PET polymer is used in production of various items such as polyester carpet fibre, T-shirt fabrics, underwear and sweaters, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery; fibrefill for sleeping bags and winter coats; industrial strapping, sheet and film; automotive parts and new PET containers for both food and non-food products.

For more information on PETCO'S guidelines for design recyclability please see: https://www.petcodb.co.za/ag3nt/media/media_items/2008//1344239695.pdf

You can also visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMS8C1fUWqE to see how we are recycling our PET bottles.

Water is one of the most essential components of the human body, not only does drinking water help to regulates the body’s temperature, it also cushions and protects vital organs and aids the digestive system.  Water not only composes 75 percent of all muscle tissue and about 10 percent of fatty tissue, it also acts within each cell to transport nutrients and dispel waste.  And, because water composes more than half of the human body, it is impossible to sustain life for more than a week without it.

A wide variety of hydration options exist, from tap water to the most sophisticated packaged beverages.  Water is important for healthy skin, hair, and nails, as well as controlling body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.  You can stay fully hydrated throughout the day by drinking water and other fluids, as well as eating foods that are hydrating like watermelons which are rich in water content. 

Summer brings to mind lazy days, warm nights and picnics.  And while there are a lot of thirst-quenching options that can keep you hydrated under the sizzling African sun.  Water is most likely the less expensive and more readily available beverage. It's also calorie-free for those watching their weight.

After opening your bottled water or carbonated soft drink beverage to quench your thirst, please bear in mind that the bottle you have used is way too valuable to be discarded as trash.  We are now able to put PET bottles to incredibly good use.  Recycled PET or rPET is used to manufacture a number of items which we encounter on a daily basis i.e.  fibre for polyester carpeting, shopping bags, ceiling insulation and geotextiles as well as fabric for T-shirts, long underwear, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery and sweaters; fibrefill for sleeping bags and winter coats.  PET recycling (from the collectors to the sorters, converters and manufacturers) creates thousands of income opportunities annually. So- not only is this good for the environment, it’s also good for the economy.

For more information on where you can drop off your PET bottles and other recyclables see http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/recycling_06_drop.php

PETCO members and friends recently rose to the occasion with the generous donation of bottled water, beverages and food to the scores of fire fighters, volunteers and Working on Fire crew that were deployed to temper the fires in the Franschhoek Mountains.

The fires broke out on Sunday the 27 Jan 2013 on Franschhoek’s northern mountains, burnt up the mountain valley, along the top of the northern range of the Franschhoek Mountains, heading towards the Wemmershoek Dam. The rest of the week they spread, fuelled by South Easterly winds, through the Wemmershoek valley over the mountains and into Paarl. Unconfirmed reports note farm damage, damage to the Freedom Hill Estate as well as residents of Pearl Valley Golf Estate being evacuated as a result of the fires that raged well into the week.

PETCO, at the request of volunteers from the area, put a call to their members and the South African National Bottled Water Association, shortly after news hit, calling for the donation of bottled water to quench the thirst of the firefighters. Feedback received from members saw Oasis, Durr Bottling, Nestle Waters, Penbev, Pick ‘n Pay, Ceres Spring Water and La Vie de Luc Mineral Water donating in excess of some 5320 litres of water. This arrived during the course of the week, and was eagerly consumed by the thirsty crew who only had access to refreshments they could carry on foot. PlasticsISA’s John Kieser assisted with the delivery of bins for the collection of the empty bottles which will be taken to Wasteplan, and recycled.

“PETCO lauds the generosity of its members, and as the industry body for recycling of PET, we see this as an ideal opportunity to not only meet a need, but to encourage responsible consumption and raise awareness about recycling” said CEO Cheri Scholtz, “it would be irresponsible of us to see all this water being sent to help the efforts, but to ignore the waste generated as a result, hence PETCO ensured the bottles were recycled”.

As a result of PETCO’s efforts, 2011 saw tonnages of post –consumer PET bottle recycling rising from 9 840 to 42,562 tonnes or from 328 million bottles collected in the first year to over 1.4 billion bottles recycled in 2011, that is close to some 4 million bottles recycled each and every day! We have grown from 16% to 42% of beverage PET recycled, from 87 000 to 145 000 tonnes of PET resin produced, and from small to large amounts of recycling levies collected. PETCO, along with other industry players helped to establish over 430 plastic recovery stations throughout South Africa generating almost 26 000 indirect income opportunities, reducing poverty across South Africa. Similarly, our members have contributed to job creation and skills development as well as the development of infrastructure estimated at R 300 million in replacement value. We continue to provide millions of Rands worth of financial support to PET recycling companies in order to ensure that post-consumer bottles are collected and that there is an assured market for them- all part of the PETCO raison d'être. For more on PETCO see www.petco.co.za or find us on twitter & Facebook: 1isPET.

The United Nations has declared 2013 as the International year of water Cooperation. The Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources decided that the theme for World Wetlands Day on Saturday, 2 February should be focused on the theme Wetlands and Water Management, with a specific focus on working with the water sector.

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971. Wetlands have numerous functions that benefit our environment. They provide habitats for plants and animals help control flood waters, improve water quality and they assist with erosion control.

Did you know that South Africa’s first World Heritage Site is the iSimangaliso Wetland Park? Situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 275 kilometres north of Durban. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km² of natural ecosystems. For more information see http://www.isimangaliso.com/

The Ramsar Convention defines the wise use of wetlands as "the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development". "Wise use" therefore has at its heart the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources, for the benefit of humankind see www.ramsar.org.

Recreational activities like hunting, fishing, bird watching, boating, and wildlife photography are dependent on Wetlands. Pollution in wetlands is a growing concern, littering also affects drinking water sources and biological diversity. Pollution has negative effects on the environment. The trash we "throw away" doesn't miraculously disappear. Plastic bags, disposable food containers, snack wrappers, and other loose garbage pieces can get washed into local waterways and eventually end up in the ocean where they poses a major hazard for marine life. Sea birds, turtles, seals, and other animals can mistake floating litter for food or become tangled in it and die.

PETCO has formed partnerships with Plastics SA and other valuable partners in our “greening” efforts. A clear collection bag which illustrates the PET recycling process has been manufactured and can be used for separation at source projects as well as clean-up campaigns. For more information on upcoming litter awareness campaigns see http://www.plasticsinfo.co.za/default.asp?CPH_ID=1267

We urge you to be the advocate of change in your local community. Even if you don't live near the coast. PETCO can provide you with cleanup bags that can be used for clean-up campaigns in your local neighborhood. We have also developed some valuable fact sheets that provide in-depth information on how you can keep your environment clean, this information can be found on http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=0#my_pace

We are looking forward to working with you in an attempt to preserve our precious wetlands. Please send your e-mail requests to info@petco.co.za; let us know how you would like us to help you keep your environment green.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa on Thursday welcomed a decision by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to dismiss, with costs, the application brought by the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and Circuit Fitment.

The applicants had served an urgent application on the Minister and the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa NPC (Redisa) on December 10, in which they sought a declaratory order that the Minister’s approval of Redisa’s Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IIWTMP) be set aside.

Read more at Engineering News

Did you know that South Africa now has a fixed set of rules that waste generators and disposers have to comply with? The National Environmental Management Waste Act was introduced in March 2009. Separating recyclables at household level is a requirement in terms of the Waste Act. The National Waste Management strategy requires all metropolitan municipalities, secondary cities and large towns to initiate programmes for waste separation at source by 2016. We can provide tips on how you can be ahead of the pack.

“Separation at Source” refers to the practice of setting aside post-consumer materials and household goods so that they do not enter mixed waste streams. This process diverts waste from the rapidly-filling landfill sites. Separating your household waste has a significant and positive impact on the environment. It is as easy as using a black bin for non-recyclable household waste, and a clear durable plastic bag for plastics, glass, cans, paper etc.

After putting out your waste on waste collection day, informal collectors in your area can collect the clear bags. If the municipality truck collects your clear recycling bags together with your black bags, the recyclable bag will reach recycling sorters at landfill site who will be able to sort and sell the material to local recycling companies. Recycling at home should not be a difficult undertaking, once you have given it some thought, it will become a good habit.

Knowing how and what to recycle is a good way to prepare for domestic recycling see http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=0#my_pace for more information

Starting a domestic recycling station does not have to be an expensive undertaking. It’s easier to keep the recycling habit if you make recycling as convenient as possible. In the true spirit of recycling, try to use existing containers, rather than buying or building new ones to separate your different recyclables.

Did you know that the PET bottles collected from your recyclables are recycled into a local end-use and not exported to China, as is done by many other countries? Recycled PET or rPET is used as feedstock into a number of items we encounter every day: fibre for polyester carpeting, shopping bags, ceiling insulation and geotextiles ; fabric for T-shirts, long underwear, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery and sweaters; fibrefill for sleeping bags and winter coats; industrial strapping, sheet and film; automotive parts, such as luggage racks, headliners, fuse boxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels; and new PET containers for both food and non-food products. Did you know that 19 x 500ml PET bottles make the fibre for a standard pillow?

Now that you know what items you can recycle, find a handy place to store them. Make sure you encourage everyone in your house to think whether items can be reused or recycled before they are thrown away.

Its back to school this week for many learners across the country, and being the start of a new year is the perfect time to start a new project, or program or tackle an old one with fresh ideas.

Schools produce a substantial amount waste that can be recycled instead of going to landfill. The benefit of recycling these materials is that they are removed from the waste stream, thus having a positive environmental benefit. Recycling also leads to behaviour change with learners which can have a trickle effect into the community i.e. it creates an awareness of our environmental responsibility and accountability. It may also generate an income for your school, especially if you can get people to bring their recycling from home to increase the quantities collected and thus the return when the recyclables are sold.

Setting up a successful school recycling program can be a simple process, but would need buy in from the community, learners, teachers and management body of the school. It is important to set up a waste management committee for the school, conduct a waste audit to ascertain your waste stream as well as set up a recycling program at your school that is suited to your facilities  taking into consideration space, access for drop off, Health and Safety , protection from the elements, equipment requirements and security. Also look at the ongoing sustainability of the initiative and the support you would need to keep it going.

PETCO can assist in partnering with your school in this process, we have information available for Setting up a School Recycling program at http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=0#my_pace, resources on our web for download as well as other print material available, and can assist on the infrastructural front with donation of equipment as well as linking you with collectors and buy back centres in your area. Your local municipality can also assist. The City of Cape Town for instance has a great program called Wastewise, that runs a schools recycling program and can offer support see http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Solidwaste2/WasteWise/Pages/Schools.aspx  as do other metro municipalities.

There is lots more that you can do in your school. But setting up a recycling project, using the youthful eagerness of your learners, is a great starting point in the journey towards a cleaner, greener school environment.

The year 2012 proved to be a watershed in PETCO’s development. We partnered with local authorities, schools, PlasticsSA and NGO’s and helped to facilitate the opening of 430 new PET recovery stations in South Africa to date.

In 2013, we will continue to assist with the establishment of more collection and drop off centres. We will also increase the awareness of PET recycling through our Category B Projects.  A recent World Bank report on South Africa notes that providing broad-based access to jobs is a crucial factor in alleviating the country’s inequality problem. Our 30 shareholder members and 48 Associate members have contributed to job creation and skills development. PETCO has helped to generate almost 26 000 income opportunities, reducing poverty across South Africa. For a snapshot of what PETCO achieved in 2011/12 please see a copy of our annual review at http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=4#my_pace

This year, we have set our sights high by establishing, together with government, a range of ambitious PET recycling targets and goals. We are currently collecting 42% of post-consumer beverage bottles and we hope to achieve our target of 46% in 2013. We only have one world and it’s up to all of us to preserve it for future generations. Help use to do everything we can to Reduce, Reuse, Recover and Recycle our products.

4 million post-consumer PET bottles are currently being recycled in South Africa on a daily basis. We can do so much more with your help. Not only does recycling reduce scarce landfill space, it also preserves natural resources. Increasing plastic bottle recycling will result in job creation in the waste management, product development, manufacturing and associated sectors.

We hope that 2013 will be the year in which you help us turn trash (waste) into treasure (resource). This can be done through “Separation at Source” a process that diverts waste from the rapidly-filling landfill sites. Separating your household waste has a significant and positive impact on the environment. It is as easy as using a black bin for non-recyclable household waste, and a clear durable plastic bag for plastics, glass, cans, paper etc. Please visit http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=0#my_pace for more information on domestic recycling.

With the dawning of yet another new year, and the prospect of the setting of a list of new year’s resolutions that invariably are broken, we have come up with 10 new year’s resolutions that are good for you and the environment. Environmental problems are caused by billions of small, unthinking actions. The biggest impact you have is to do your bit as every little bit counts.

So here is a list of  small, sensible actions, simple substitutions of environmentally conscious habits for thoughtless and wasteful ones………..try one or two, or try them all, after 21 days they will become a habit!

1. Consider your Ecological Footprint and what it takes to support your lifestyle? Discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth. (see http://www.bestfootforward.com/resources/ecological-footprint/ for a nice example of a personal eco footprint calculator)
2. Reduce- buy less stuff, this one is easiest of all, since it requires you to do absolutely nothing. Next time you're tempted to shop for some new trinket, or drive all over town looking for a new doohickey, just don't -- instead, just make do with the things you already have. This New Year's resolution will save both time and money, and you'll have less junk to throw away later.
3. Reuse- reuse all you can before disposing of it, it creates less waste and saves you money…if you don’t like the idea of this, get a reusable shopping bag!
4. Recycle- because it will save money, landfill space, fossil fuel, production of hazardous wastes as well as the depletion of virgin resources. Most of us try to recycle at home, but how many people really recycle at the office? If your workplace doesn't have a recycling program, make a New Year's resolution to at least try to start one. And if you're town doesn't have a recycling program, one phone call to the mayor's office is a step in the right direction.(See www.mywaste.co.za for a searchable database of drop off sites in your area) Remember: plastic bottles are not trash -separating your packaging recyclables enables someone, somewhere to earn a living by sorting these and delivering to recyclers.
5. Save electricity- it will save you money, assist with demand management and reduction of black outs and has the knock on effect of carbon reduction(See http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/electricitysaving/Pages/default.aspx for the top 10 tips on saving electricity at home)
6. Drive the most fuel-efficient car you can find …even better, try out public transport or lift share once or twice a week- it saves fuel, decreases carbon emissions, alleviates congestion ( and wear and tear on road infrastructure) and facilitates a lot more socially cohesive community.
7. Fit a low-flow showerhead- it saves water and electricity.
8. Plant a water wise garden.
9. Make a compost pile- it serves as a good sink for compostable kitchen and garden waste and reduces the need for fertilizers.
10. Try local, seasonal and organic food- It's healthy for you and for the environment, ask your local grocery store what’s on offer, or visit your local weekend organic market.

If all else fails and you are not one for new year’s resolutions, why not be resolute on one thing: do the same as what you did last year, just better! For a snapshot of what PETCO achieved in 2011/12 please see a copy of our annual review at http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php?my_item_cnt=4#my_pace

For most it’s the end of a great year and the start of the holiday season with its accompanying buying, wrapping and celebrating substantially increases the amount of solid waste we generate. However, there are many opportunities for the consumer to reduce, reuse and recycle the remnants of holiday cheer. Listed below are some tips for reducing your household's waste during the holiday season.

1. When shopping, bring your own reusable tote bag rather than accepting a separate bag for each purchase
2. Choose products that are minimally packaged.
3. Compost your kitchen food scraps from holiday dinners and parties. Remember compost fruit and vegetable wastes only, not meat or grease.
4. Invest in rechargeable batteries.
5. Donate Old Things to Charity- New gifts will often replace appliances and clothes that still have a useful life.
6. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Gift Wrap and cards or Don't use wrapping paper at all.
7. Try Mail Order Shopping or choose thoughtful and creative gifts that are long-lasting or that can be reused and later recycled.
8. Use cloth napkins, silverware, glass drinking cups and ceramic coffee mugs, and reusable plates rather than disposable items for holiday celebrations
9.  Contact Foodbank to collect your leftover should there be a significant amount, it will go to people in need http://www.foodbank.org.za/
10. Recycle- the holiday season creates a tremendous waste. Be sure to separate your recyclables, or place them in a clear bag for drop off at a community drop off facility ( see www.mywaste.co.za for a searchable database of sites)

Happy holidays everyone!

See you in 2013!

PETCO and Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), the soft drink division of South African Breweries (SAB) joined forces to celebrate primary school recycling heroes on Thursday, 5 December at Cinema 5, Montecasino in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) launched their School Recycling Programme, on Tuesday, 14 August 2012.  A total of 120 Primary Schools within the ABI territory in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng participated in the competition which ran until 31 October 2012. PETCO, as part of the Category “B” project drive saw this as an ideal opportunity to collaborate and further their reach, educate and raise awareness with the school children as well as up collection at schools and within the communities themselves.  Aside from Joint Venture Projects with PET Industry partners, such as ABI, who are Shareholder Members of PETCO, other Category “B" projects that PETCO supports are PET Recovery and Recycling, Information and Communication, Clean Up Campaigns and Litter Awareness and Education and Training.

The event was attended by Government, industry stakeholders, corporates as well as the top 40 participating schools from the Gauteng and KZN regions. 

The main aim of the school recycling competition was to educate students, teachers, parents and the whole community about the importance of waste collection and recycling for a sustainable future.

Winners Boikgantsho Primary School from Mamelodi (Gauteng) walked away with R50 000; and the first and second runners up FF Rebeiro Primary School, from Mamelodi (Gauteng) and Lourdes Primary School, from Diepkloof (Gauteng) with R25 000 and R10 000 respectively for infrastructural development for their schools. The schools were rewarded for volume collected as well as spirit embodied in their program which includes motivation of learners, use of the educational material, and innovation in recycling as well community involvement.

A total of 70 tonnes of material was collected during the competition, with the winning school collecting 6.347 tonnes of material in 4 months.

Surprise winners announced were the 10 recycling heroes from each of the 10 finalist schools who will have their school fees covered by ABI  for the year,  as well as be kitted with a school uniform, stationery and school bags . The two most motivational and driven program facilitators received IPADs. In addition to these, the highest PET collecting school was rewarded with R5000. This accolade went to Badelile Junior Primary School, who collected  4.5 tonnes of PET.

“It was interesting to note, that for a school of 1000 learners, if each learner collected 38 bottles per week, this amount could easily be reached in a month” said Belinda Booker, Category B Manager of PETCO, “this just shows how through participation and community support real collection volumes can be achieved, that in turn can generate return for participating schools and community organisations”.

John Ustas, Managing Director of ABI who spoke at the event, gave an overview of his organization; this recycling competition was a pilot project which was geared at driving the recycling message from primary school level and to spark environmental conversations amongst learners from the participating schools.  Recycling is a learning experience and ABI, hopes that with this initiative, students, teachers and parents can learn not only the basics of recycling, but of sustainability and environmental stewardship.  He said that ABI have 140 SOUL Ambassadors who actively participated in community work within their regional territories and they have showcased ABI’s commitment in recycling and environmental conservation throughout this competition.  Mr Ustas also gave a special word of thanks to PETCO Category B Manager Belinda Booker for the time and effort spent by PETCO in PET collection ventures.

Belinda Booker engaged the recycling heroes with her experiential learning approach, involving the use of samples and an interactive presentation on PET.  She reminded the audience that plastic bottles are not trash , that  PET post-consumer packaging has a value, and collection thereof can help contribute to the creation of sustainable livelihoods.

Poet and soul activist Mbali Vilakazi encouraged the audience to reduce, reuse and recycle through her moving piece titled “Is there a Xhosa word for climate change”, and young performer in the making,  Zintle Mthembu from Badelile Junior Primary School in Umlazi wowed the audience with a poem on substance abuse in commemoration of the 16 days of activism against women and child abuse. 

The Silverbacks Drumming Group also gave a memorable performance with musical instruments which were made using cans, PET bottles and laundry baskets. Highlighting another important aspect of the waste hierarchy, namely “reuse”!

Regina Rathete, a teacher at Boikgantsho Primary School, was named the most motivational and driven programme facilitator. She thanked the community for their support in their collection efforts and advised that by incentivising learners they got better results.  Mrs Rathete also showcased some of the artwork which was created by her learners using PET bottles, paper and cardboard.

Sustainable development manager at ABI, Gaopaleloe Mothoagae congratulated all the winners for an outstanding effort in greening their schools and commended the teachers who supported this learning opportunity to enhance the educational experiences for the students. PETCO will continue to partner with industry players to leverage their resources and see this as not only a CSI opportunity, but a very real opportunity to effect meaningful change on the ground.

The Minister for Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, has today approved the REDISA Waste Tyre Management Plan for immediate implementation. The plan replaces the REDISA plan that was suspended in terms of an interdict granted on 20 November 2012.

The legal challenge to the implementation of the REDISA plan, launched in August this year, contained a long list of criticisms. The case was heard on the 8th of November, with judgment delivered on 20th November. The judge found in favour or REDISA on all counts except one technical issue regarding the insertion of waste reduction targets into the plan after the public comment period, and determined that the plan should be suspended pending a review application. However, he also suggested that the Minister could simply withdraw her approval of the plan, and re-apply her mind to approving the plan with the insertion removed. This is what the Minister has now done.

Hermann Erdmann, REDISA CEO, commented "We are very pleased that the Minister has taken such prompt action to resolve the chaos that the suspension of the plan was causing in the tyre industry. Getting the plan suspended pending a review application meant that the industry would have been in a state of uncertainty for months, not knowing if the waste tyre management fee was going to have to be paid or not. A review application takes months to complete, and for all that time the industry would have had to provisionally set aside funds to pay the fee if the Review Court found in favour of the Minister, and deal with refund claims if it found against her."

"By re-gazetting the plan," said Erdmann, "the Minister is following the resolution proposed in the judgment and bringing sanity back into the tyre market."

South Africa produces around 11 million scrap tyres every year which typically end up in landfills, dumped in the veld, or illegally burned for their scrap steel content. This is creating a growing health and environmental problem. The REDISA Waste Tyre Management Plan will establish a network of transporters to collect scrap tyres from the entire country, supply them to recyclers, and provide support and help to develop secondary markets for the recycler’s output products. In doing so, the plan is designed to create jobs, particularly in the informal sector, and create majority Black-owned small and micro businesses.

A copy of the re-gazetted plan can also be found on our the REDISA website. Click here to view.

If you have any queries, please contact REDISA

According to Transparency Market Research “Global Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Value Chain Market Analysis (Ethylene, PET, PET Packaging) – Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth And Forecast, 2010 – 2016”, the global PET market was estimated to be worth USD 23.3 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach USD 48.4 billion in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2011 to 2016. In the overall global market, Asia Pacific is expected to maintain its leading position in terms PET demand over the next five years.

Demand for PET is primarily being driven by increasing application in CSD packaging as well as rising consumption of packaged, frozen and other processed foods. Largest PET applications include packaging of CSD and bottled water, alcoholic and hot beverages, sheet/films and food.

The PET value chain market has been further segmented under two markets, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ethylene. Over the last decade demand PET has increased considerably due to growing demand from food and beverages industry. Ethylene market is segmented on the basis of its application as polyethylene, ethylene oxide, and ethylene dichloride and ethyl benzene. The market for ethylene was estimated to be worth USD 140.4 billion in 2010 and it is expected to reach USD 254.5 billion in 2016.

Asia Pacific enjoys the largest market share of the worldwide PET and ethylene market in 2010 and is expected to lead by 2016. Asia Pacific is also expected to be the fastest growing market for ethylene over the next five years.

This research is specially designed to estimate and analyze the demand and performance of PET and ethylene in global scenario. This research provides in-depth analysis of PET and ethylene manufacturers, trend analysis by segments and demand by geography. The report covers all the major segments of the global PET and ethylene market and provides in-depth analysis, historical data and statistically refined forecast for the segments covered. 

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/11/prweb10164468.htm

Plastics|SA in association with PETCO and SANBWA have published a nifty How 2 guide, titled "Truth or myth? How 2 know the difference when it comes to Plastic Water Bottles".  Various issues are covered and questions answered in the guide such as

• Can I reuse my PET Bottle
• Is it safe to leave my plastic water bottle in a hot car?
• What about BPA?

This guide is part of the series on Plastics and related issues for the consumer at large and can be found in our Digital Library.

PENSchools recently launched the first annual Inter-Schools recycling competition.  The friendly competition ran throughout October and aimed to promote waste reduction activities at Lethulwazi Secondary School (Vosloorus); Amogelang Secondary School (Soshanguve); Nkumbulo Secondary school (Springs) and Lebohang Secondary School in Boipatong, Vanderbijlpark.

Each class in the school was encouraged to collect as much recyclable material from the school grounds and respective local communities.  Educators and learners from Lebohang Secondary School collected a massive 976kg of different recyclable material making them the overall winner of this year’s competition.  Lethulwazi Secondary School managed to collect 153.5 kg while Amogelang Secondary School collected 126 kg of recyclable material.

The winning class for each school will be taken on a fun, yet educational environmental excursion facilitated through WESSA Eco Schools.  PETCO has generously sponsored the second prize of the competition which is a recycled PET bottle pencil case and other stationary items which are made from recycled materials.  Nampak Recycling has proudly sponsored t-shirts for the Eco Committees at the different schools..  PETCO has also sponsored a floating trophy for the winning school which will be presented with the other exciting prizes at the school’s prize giving ceremony on Friday, 23 November 2012.

“A key to the success of the competition is constant motivation, whole school buy-in and an individual in the schools to drive the programme forward” said Claire Warner, WESSA Northern Areas Educational Manager.  “These factors will be considered by the PENSchools team in an attempt to support and increase educational awareness, and the importance of recycling and obtaining greater volumes of recyclable material in 2013” added Belinda Booker, PETCO Category B Manager.

Retail & FMCG recently reported that PET and can packaging will be collected in Romanian stores as retailers will start setting up machines for collecting PET bottles and aluminum cans. Those bringing in the waste will receive shopping vouchers worth RON 0.05 (approx. 12c) per unit.

The move is the result of an agreement to prevent further generation of packaging waste and to improve waste collection and recycling. The agreement was signed between recycling companies, retailers and the Environment Ministry.

According to Mediafax newswire, the recycling company will buy and offer the retailers the PET collecting machines. Retailers will cover the value of the vouchers with discounts for purchases made in the store. The Environment Ministry will eliminate the 16 percent income tax for receiving the packaging through collecting machines and will also eliminate the 3 percent tax for aluminum cans recovered through collecting machines.

The machines will be introduced directly, depending on each retailer and how fast agreements are closed with the recycling company.

One such machine costs EUR 20,000, said Constantin Damov, founder of industrial waste recycling park Green Group, quoted by Mediafax.

One similar pilot project was implemented in Pitesti, where a machine collected 60,086 PET bottles and 21,731 aluminum cans in a month, according to data provided by Green Group.

PETCO successfully held their 7th AGM at the Forum, in Bryanston this past Thursday. Please download the presentation or a copy of the annual review from our digital library, under “presentations” and “Annual review” respectively.

Watch this space for a formal write up on the events and to hear about the PETCO award winners for 2012!

This year’s AGM is sure to surpass all expectation, with a great speaker line up over and above the usual networking and review of PETCO’s activities. This year we are pleased to announce that we will be having the PET awards ceremony at the AGM, celebrating the best people, companies and organisations involved in post consumer PET recycling in South Africa. We will also be motivated and inspired by the likes of William Bill Egbe, Coca-Cola South Africa’s Director, Sustainability – EAG, who will be posing the question- “Does a sustainable approach to business add value” and relating  the Coke experience. Renown Political Analyst, Daniel Silke, will be enlightening us with his presentation tilted "Tracking the Future" and we will be joined by Mamosa Afrika, Director: General Waste of the National Department of Environmental Affairs, who will be sharing their vision for the process of the Paper and Packaging Industry Waste Management Plan going forward.

Date: 8 Nov 2012

Venue: The Forum, Bryanston

Time: 17:30

Closed session AGM ( Shareholder members only)

15h30 Arrival and refreshments

16h15: Welcome and apologies (Cheri Scholtz)

16h20: Year at a Glance (Casper Durandt)

16h40: Financial Statements and report of the Auditors for the year ended 31 December 2011 (Casper Durandt)

16h45: Appointment of auditors for the coming year (Casper Durandt)

16h50: Board Thanks (Casper Durandt)

17h55: General: any other business as may be transacted at the Annual General Meeting (Cheri Scholtz)

17h05: End

Open networking session and mini conference

17h30: Arrival

18h00: Welcome by MC (Sheryl Ozinsky)

18h03: Mbali Vilakazi

18h13: “Looking Forward, Looking Back” (Cheri Scholtz)

18h20: “South Africa and Africa- Linkages and Trends”  (Daniel Silke)

19h05: Does a sustainable approach to business add value : the Coke experience (Bill Egbe - Group Director, Sustainability, Strategy & Business Planning for the Coca-Cola Company’s Eurasia & Africa Group)

19h15: Address (Mamosa Afrika -Director: General Waste- DEA)

19h25: PETCO Awards Ceremony ( Ms Afrika and Miss SA International to assist with handing over of certificates)

20h00: Networking

This year’s AGM is sure to surpass all expectation, with a great speaker line up over and above the usual networking and review of PETCO’s activities. This year we are pleased to announce that we will be having the PET awards ceremony at the AGM, celebrating the best people, companies and organisations involved in post consumer PET recycling in South Africa. We will also be motivated and inspired by the likes of William Bill Egbe, Coca-cola South Africa’s Director, Sustainability – EAG, who will be posing the question- “Does a sustainable approach to business add value” and relating the the CCSA experience. Renown Political Analyst, Daniel Silke, will be enlightening us with his presentation tilted "Tracking the Future" and we will be joined by Mamosa Afrika, Director: General Waste of the National Department of Environmental Affairs, who will be sharing their vision for the process of the Paper and Packaging Industry Waste Management Plan going forward.

Will you be joining us?

Please RSVP to info@petco.co.za

AGENDA

Revised 29 10 2012

Closed session AGM ( Shareholder members only)

15h30 Arrival and refreshments

16h15: Welcome and apologies (Cheri Scholtz)

16h20: Chairperson's Assessment (Casper Durandt)

16h40: Financial Statements and report of the Auditors for the year ended 31 December 2011 (Casper Durandt)

16h45: Appointment of auditors for the coming year (Casper Durandt)

16h50: Board Thanks (Casper Durandt)

17h55: General: any other business as may be transacted at the Annual General Meeting (Cheri Scholtz)

17h05: End

Open networking session and mini conference

17h30: Arrival

18h00: Welcome by MC (Sheryl Ozinsky)

18h03: Mbali Vilakazi

18h13: “Looking Forward, by Looking Back” (Cheri Scholtz)

18h20: “South Africa and Africa- ………………..”  (Daniel Silke)

19h05: Does a sustainable approach to business add value : the Coke experience (Bill Egbe - Group Director, Sustainability, Strategy & Business Planning for the Coca-Cola Company’s Eurasia & Africa Group)

19h15: Address (Mamosa Afrika -Director: General Waste- DEA)

19h25: PETCO Awards Ceremony ( Ms Afrika and Miss SA International to assist with handing over of certificates)

20h00: Networking

The Plastics Institute of South Africa (PISA) has announced the winners of the Student Design Competition, held in partnership with POLYCO (the industry association promoting the recycling of polyolefin plastics in South Africa), Plastics|SA, Afrimold and the Universities of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg (UJ) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Addressing the 21 finalists and winners at the prize giving ceremony at the Afrimold Expo at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Plastics|SA Sustainability Director Douw Steyn, explained that the objective of the design competition was to design the most innovative and practical trolley that could be pulled behind a bicycle for the collection of recyclables. "The collection of post-consumer recyclables from households has become a daily occurrence in our streets and neighbourhoods. Our latest plastics recycling survey has shown that 40 950 informal jobs were created during 2010-2011 in the collection industry, with an average of 60 kgs collected per person per day." Sam Matsemela, a collector himself and Chairperson of the Trolley Brigade - an informal organization formed to represent collectors in negotiations with municipalities and other organisations - addressed the organisers and students and was visibly moved by their efforts to make the lives of these workers that much easier. He explained: "When Douw Steyn spoke about this competition 6 months ago, I thought it was just talk, but here I stand before you, a judge at the competition and my heart overflowing with pride and joy! Fellow citizens will now become more aware of our contribution to their daily lives and at the same time we will be able to lead meaningful lives and earn a living." Steyn explained that the role players in the plastics industry were very supportive of the competition and that they had not hesitated to donate products ranging from plastic pipes to polystyrene for the students to use in their designs. "We wanted the students to think outside the box and incorporate as much recycled or recyclable material into their designs as possible. At the same time, the entries needed to be practical, cost effective, easy to build and operate and aesthetically pleasing," he said.

The judges, who were tasked with the difficult job of assessing and adjudicating the entries, were selected from the plastics and recycling industries and chosen because of their first-hand knowledge of the daily challenges faced by the collectors. They were: * Annabe Pretorius (GM SA Plastics Recycling Organisation) * Kirtida Bhana (Training Executive- Plastics|SA) * Claire Warner (Education Manager – WESSA) * Gugu Mkhize (Waste Minimisation and Recycling – City of JHB) * Simthiwe Memena (Waste Minimisation and Recycling – City of JHB) * Sam Matsela (Trolley Brigade) * Alfred Mofokeng (Trolley Brigade) * Simon Mbatha (Waste Pickers Association) * Andrew Marthinusen (PACSA) * Douw Steyn (Plastics|SA) The judges made it clear that they were very impressed with the standard of the entries. "It was very difficult to choose a winner, as each and every design was a winner in its own right", said judge and CEO of the Packaging Council of South Africa (PACSA), Andrew Marthinusen.

The First Prize winners were Reando Potgieter, Anthony Wilcox and Balungile Mahlangu from Tshwane University of Technology, who submitted a group entry. Wayde van Heerden from the University of Johannesburg and Tiisetso Murray from the University of Witwatersrand entered as individuals. Concludes Steyn: "I believe this competition has proved that there is a workable solution for waste collection in our country and we hope to see industry and local municipalities working together in the near future to make one of these designs become a reality for Sam and the other collectors." More information on the winning designs is available on the Plastics|SA website at www.plasticsinfo.co.za

Since 2005 we've grown the PET recycling industry seeing 4 million bottles being recycled every day in 2011. This could not have been achieved without your support.

Join us as we reflect on our achievements and inspire the industry to innovate, contributing to a sustainable future for all.

Date: Thursday the 8th of November 2012

Venue: The Forum, 1st Floor, Wanderers Building, The Campus Office Park, Cnr Sloane Street & Main Road, Bryanston, Johannesburg

Closed session AGM (Shareholder members only)

Click here  to view the shareholder member list.

15h30: Arrival and refreshments

16h00: Welcome and apologies

16h05: Chairperson's Assessment

16h25: CEO's Review

16h45: Financial Statements and report of the Auditors for the year ended 31 December 2011

16h50: Appointment of auditors for the coming year

16h51: Introduction of the Board of Directors for 2012/2013

17h00: General: any other business as may be transacted at the Annual General Meeting

17h30: End

Open networking session and mini conference (open to all stakeholders and friends)

17h30: Arrival

18h00: Welcome by MC (Sheryl Ozinsky)

18h03: Global Trends (Daniel Silke)*

19h00: The Year at a Glance (Cheri Scholtz)

19h10: Address by DEA (Mamosa Afrika)**

19h20: PETCO Awards Ceremony

20h00: Mbali Vilakazi***

20h10: Networking

* Daniel Silke is well known political analyst & futurist, for more see www.danielsilke.com

** Mamosa Afrika is Director: General Waste & Special Projects for the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)

*** Mbali Vilakazi is a soul activist, writer & poet, for more see www.mbalivilakazi.com

RSVP:

Please RSVP (name, job title, company and cell number) to info@petco.co.za, or call Lisa Parkes on 086 014 7738 before Friday 26th Oct.

The Free State SME Development Initiative has launched a new publication about the demand and supply of products and services to nurture a culture of entrepreneurship in the Free State.

An important outcome of the Free State SME Development Initiative is to nurture a culture of entrepreneurship among young men and women to better prepare them for the transition from school to the world of work. Secondary school leavers that enter the labour market struggle to find formal employment opportunities as witnessed by the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa.

The findings of the report in terms of the need for differentiating between entrepreneurship skills and business skills to develop future young entrepreneurs in the Free State underpin the support of the Free State SME Development Initiative to the Department of Education in its introduction of a new and more practical entrepreneurship education package in Grade 10 and 11 in Free State schools.

PETCO supports all such ventures and will be watching how the schools program unfolds, hopefully nurturing a future young generation of entrepreneurs that will be active in the waste management and recycling sector!

To follow the development of this package and other activities of the Initiative go to www.facebook.com/startupandgo.

The report is published under the umbrella of the South Africa SME Observatory, a Public-Private-Partnership established to inform evidence based advocacy and policy making.

PETCO is proud to release their Municipal Fact Sheet in time for WasteCon 2012. This year the conference themed "Wrestling with Waste” also sees a Khoro of Municipal Waste Management Officers meeting from 8-9 October. We trust this addition to our suite of fact sheets, titled “Effecting the National Waste Management Strategy: PETCO supporting Municipalities to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” will do just that. See more at http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_07_media3.php

PETCO, in collaboration with PRASA and The City of Johannesburg organized a ground breaking workshop which brought together entrepreneurs who would change the face of recycling in the Gauteng region.  This collaboration also joined forces with key role players in industry to provide a 5-day entrepreneurial training workshop for a hundred people who are passionate about recycling. 

In an opening address at the Danie van Zyl Recreation Centre on Tuesday, 4 September, Roelf de Beer, Project Manager of Pikitup, said he hoped that the workshop would help create entrepreneurs who would operate in conducive and social environments which would create jobs and enhance development in the recycling industry. Through PETCO’s initiatives, and that of the industry, 23 000- 26 000 income opportunities have been created in this sector at present with more than 400 plastic recovery stations throughout South Africa established.  The workshop was attended by members of 3 different cooperatives in the Gauteng region, namely; Zondi Buy-Back Centre, Reashoma Cooperative and Diepsloot Buy-Back Centre.  Representatives from the recycling industry noted the importance everyone in attendance would need to play in preserving natural resources and reducing the demand for scarce landfill space.

PETCO Category B Manager, Belinda Booker engaged the audience with her experiential learning approach, involving the use of samples and an interactive presentation on PET.  The Story of PET DVD ( available on the PETCO website at www.petco.co.za) took members on a virtual tour of some of the biggest recycling plants in the country telling the story of how plastic bottles get recycled after consumption into valuable products such as rPET fabric, geotextiles and packaging.  Mrs Booker focussed on attendees’ role in conserving resources and as advocates of sustainable behaviour adding that each had a role to play in preserving the environment for future generations.

Lynda Prinsloo, an independent skills development specialist, who facilitated the training workshop, encouraged interactivity, team-building and group work.  The 5-day workshop was essentially focused on PET, paper, glass and Tetra Pak collection and recycling.  Lynda also provided training on basic concepts in entrepreneurship and small business development.  One of the core focus areas of the workshop included identifying current trends in industry, problems, opportunities and assisting the cooperatives to identify the best ways in which they could obtain maximum profits when selling their recyclable material.  “Passion and dedication will result in financial viability” said Henry Selepe, Regional Manager of Collect-a-can.  Members were also encouraged to take initiative, according to Selepe, some people use horse carriages to deliver cans at various drop-off sites, “this is a clear indication that transport should not be an issue” said Selepe. 

Rodney Reynders, Environment Cluster Leader, Sub-Sahara Africa at Tetra Pak encouraged the collection of different recyclable material thus maximising opportunities for return and not being limited to one waste stream.  “Success in business is more than just achieving financial goals, it is also about sustainable growth and protecting the environment” he said.

Certificates were awarded to 87 members of the different cooperatives who successfully completed the workshop on Friday, 7 September.

PETCO played a vital role in ensuring that members of the different cooperatives would receive the best prices for their PET material, “We will ensure that you are connected with our contracted recyclers” said Ms Booker on Monday, 10 September.  The City of Johannesburg and Pikitup joined the group for a site tour, the main objective of the visit was to see and improve current operational aspects and challenges at the different sites.  Leaders in industry also gave advice on how the recycling centres could be sustainable and financially viable.

The ladies at Zondi Buy-Back centre were all smiles when they saw PETCO’s return to gauge their progress.  According to the Site Manager, Bongani Mzantsi, the cooperative provides services to Zondi and 29 surrounding townships.  The cooperative has 7 members and 24 employees. Success and sustainability of an operation is all about feedback loops, accordingly,   Ursula Henneberry, Operations Director at PRASA urged members to collaborate with other cooperatives as well as keep in contact with PRASA, PETCO et al regarding future needs for training and support.

Reashoma which means “we are working” is a name which has been given a lot of justice by the Reashoma cooperative which is based in Naledi.  The team operates their site with no water and electricity.  This is another perfect example of how limited resources should not be a discouraging factor in running any business.

The last site visit of the day was at the Diepsloot buy-back centre.  This site was funded by the Pretoria Portland Cement Company Limited (PPC) as an IDP project for the Johannesburg City Metro municipality, and will be operated by the City of Johannesburg.  Bontle ke tlhago is the cooperative which has been assigned to the site and the 8 members will service 15 000 households in Diepsloot and surrounding areas.  The City of Johannesburg is currently planning the official launch in conjunction with PPC.

PETCO looks forward to empowering members of the different cooperatives through our Category B projects which have a strong focus on public and consumer-based education, and our awareness programmes that contribute to the visible recycling of PET.  The City of Johannesburg and Pikitup are also committed to the partnership to offer continuous mentorship and training programmes.

Find PETCO on twitter and facebook: 1isPET

Climate change and sustainable development are two of the biggest issues facing society today and are perhaps foremost in our minds, with the hosting of COP17 in Durban last year. It is increasingly important for companies to reduce the environmental impacts of products and services through their entire life cycle. Those companies failing to address environmental performance in product design and development will find it increasingly difficult to compete in the global market.

Packaging can be found everywhere and it not only fulfils a functional role to contain and protect a product during transportation, storage, in-store and in the consumer’s possession, but packaging has an evolved function that has an influence on the “product experience”. It is also considered an informational vehicle, carrying details of the product ingredients, usage, storage, nutrition and price and is often referred to as “the silent salesman” due to its ability to influence consumers at the point of purchase and acts as a form of brand communication. It’s no wonder so much effort goes into the conceptualisation, design and production thereof and continual refinement of the product. Historically, package design has been consumer driven, but with sustainability in mind, it’s imperative that packaging design is informed not only by technical, and consumer need, but by resource consumption and awareness of environmental impact. This means, that amongst other things, packaging should be designed to use the minimum amount of resources for purpose and once it has completed its job, the scope for recovery maximised.

Due to innovation there is currently a large shift amongst manufacturers towards light weighting or using less packaging where both environmental and economic boxes are effectively ticked. The former due to the reduction of the weight of the bottles and due to the likelihood of less material entering the waste stream, the latter due to reduced costs associated with decreased raw material consumption by weight as well as a reduction in the energy required to make the bottle and transportation thereof. This light weighting, although beneficial does have a knock on effect in package handling and from a recycling perspective as more material needs to be collected to make tonnage.  This being said, by considering light weighting, reducing the environmental impact of the pack and effective design for recyclability combined with proactive recovery and recycling initiatives in place,  PET becomes a very attractive proposition for brand owners. The value add for customers is that they can still get a functional pack that is aesthetically attractive, environmentally conscious, with a reduced environmental impact throughout the product life cycle, from resource consumption to end use and finally, recycling.

With this in mind PETCO and POLYCO recently joined forces for the first time and hosted two well supported, workshops in Cape Town and Johannesburg to share best practice and explore ones influence on the journey to ‘Recyclability by Design’.

The workshops focused specifically on the design of plastic packaging to facilitate recycling but also raised key questions with participants around the ease of recyclability of their products, or whether they can be recycled at all. It is often thought that most packaging is recyclable, but the reality is that in the South African and global context, not all plastic packages are collected or recycled effectively at present, furthermore, as collection rates are often tied to value, and value tied to end market use for the polymer- one has to be mindful of selecting a material that has value in the supply chain that can ultimately be recycled and reworked into rPET or another product ( and that there are existing technologies to do just that) or up cycled into a product of value. In addition to encouraging “Cradle to Cradle thinking” the workshop prodded the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the role that brand owners, manufacturers and retailers play in the journey to sustainable production and consumption in South Africa.

EPR is a policy approach under which producers accept significant responsibility – financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. Indeed it could be severely detrimental to some brands if the manufacturer were to change the primary packaging too much, weighting environmental factors over functionality and cost. However, if recyclability has not been ensured during design of the pack, and a problematic pack is produced, either out of necessity, or other determinants such as aesthetics, EPR would necessitate that the producer / brand owner sets a plan in place for the collection of the pack, in order to dispose of it properly, and not contaminate the waste management stream- which in itself would add cost in the recycling process.

One of the core principles, that emerged from the workshop, was that package design needs to be “fit for purpose “ whilst retaining balance and perspective.  It should be guided by the principles entrenched in the The National Environmental Management: Waste Act namely avoidance, reduction, re-use, recycling, recovery then landfill. “The goal of improving the recyclability of the packaging cannot compromise product safety, functionality or general consumer acceptance and should positively contribute to an overall reduction in the environmental impact of the total product offering” said Chandru Wadhwani of Extrupet, who shared fascinating insights into the world of PET and plastic recycling in general and elaborated on the  top ten design challenges or issues for easing recyclability in South Africa at present highlighted as follows:

1. Choosing Material Type: Minimise the number of different plastics used and specify plastics that can be recycled together or easily separated in the recycling process.
2. Material Identification: Major plastic components (container, caps, and lids) should carry a clearly visible material identifier to facilitate the visual identification of plastic types during manual separation.
3. Composite Materials /Barrier Layers: Consider the use of thin layered composites carefully and avoid lightweight plastic laminates which are not cost-effective to recycle.
4. Colour of Plastic: Avoid coloured plastic material as well as direct printing onto PET bottles.
5. Closures / Closure Liners /Cap Sleeves / Seals: Ideally should all be recyclable themselves. Don’t use PET closures on PET bottles, ideally use PP/HDPE and avoid metal caps. Don’t use materials that have the same density, or else they cannot be sorted and removed during the flotation stage of recycling.
6. Labels and Adhesives: Adhesive use and surface coverage should be minimized and be designed to completely detach from the container with the use of water soluble or hot melt alkali soluble adhesives. Avoid paper labels, labels that delaminate, foil seals and rather use polyethylene and polypropylene as preferred label materials. If possible use the glue on the label only. Avoid printing directly onto bottles.
7. Inks: Avoid metal inks or inks that would dye the wash solution (bleed).
8. Avoid Self-declared Environmental Claims: If it’s not independently assessed by a credible authority, don’t say it!
9. Avoid additives: Avoid chemical additives, such as those that aid break down of the material or anti statics etc. and make it known that they are in the product.
10. Closing the Loop: Consider the possibility of including recycled plastics in the packaging and support the recovery of plastics by providing a market for reprocessed material, increase cost savings and reduce the environmental impact of the package. 

The relationship of packaging production and recycling, by its inherent nature, continues to develop, providing exciting challenges for designers to innovate and constantly challenge the boundaries of good design, conscious design and design that meets the needs of all stakeholders in the supply chain.

One of the leading retailers currently on a green journey with their packaging, and grappling with EPR, amongst other aspects, is Woolworths- Kiril Dimitrov, of Woolworths, shared some interesting insights from their packaging journey. He noted some of the  customer concerns they have flagged, highlighting that the major areas of concern were around the environment and oil reserves, recyclability and biodegradability of packaging amongst others. He noted that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of extended producer responsibility believing that businesses should take responsibility in environmental issues and reduce their impact on the environment. Dimitrov explained that Woolworths are taking these concerns very seriously endeavoring to provide packaging solutions that align with their Good Business Journey and  Foods Packaging – Sustainability Policy -which aims to drive innovative, safe and legally compliant, fit-for-purpose, sustainable food packaging with consistent quality, that protects, informs and sells at the lowest overall cost. With this being said, Dimitrov highlighted that the biggest challenge for the packaging industry and retailers at present is the complexity of defining “sustainable packaging”, as in his opinion is a grey area and open to interpretation. He added that to address this lacuna, their environmental packaging selection criteria, over and above economic and social factors, included the consideration of packaging weight, local collection and recycling rates and material selection, with a preference towards post-consumer recycled content, as well as renewable materials with certified chain-of-custody.

Dimitrov emphasized his biggest concern at present, that the South African packaging industry does not have a clear definition for “Recyclable Packaging”. He explained that Woolworths has therefor defined this for themselves considering the existence of recycling technology for the format, the existence of collection points in at least 3 of the main cities in South Africa, the existence of recycling facilities as well as proven recycling rates. He concluded that these criteria were aiding Woolworths in making informed packaging choices and that they would continue to innovate in response to market demand, which in his opinion is a key driver in this arena.

Design for Recyclability provides an opportunity for feedback loops and constant improvement.  The value of PET needs to be maintained to keep it as a viable packaging material and in this regard PETCO encourages its stakeholders to rise to the challenge and continue to innovate with their package design as well as provide feedback on challenges and lessons learnt, by way of case studies that can be presented to stakeholders.

PETCO has developed a fact sheet, which is available on the web, titled PET Plastic Packaging: Recycling by Design” which is an essential guide for all those involved in development, design, marketing and procurement. The aim of this fact sheet is to encourage designers to consider recycling possibilities, provide guidelines for those wishing to make their packaging (more) recyclable and provide brand owners and manufacturers with information to prevent their packaging inadvertently interfering with existing plastic recycling streams. http://bit.ly/SVq7no

The “Design For Recycling” Workshop power point presentation, is also available for download at www.PETCO.co.za

Plastic production, consumption and recycling

Since 1950, globally there has been an average annual increase in the production and consumption of plastics of 9%. The Paper and Packaging Industry Waste Management Plan submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs, by the South African packaging industry, in 2011 anticipated an overall plastics packaging recycling rate of 35 % or 236 000 tons by 2015. The most recently updated statistics for 2010 indicate that this could be achieved if the current growth rates are maintained. According to PlasticsISA, the mouthpiece of the South African plastics industry, who represent polymer producers and importers, converters, machine suppliers and recyclers, apparent virgin material converted in South Africa in 2010 was 1 340 000 tons, of this 241 853 tons were recycled, representing a recycling rate of 18%.

By comparison, in Europe, the total material recycling rate of post-consumer plastics in 2008 was 21.3%.  In Europe, plastics converters used 48.5 million tons of plastics in 2008, down 7.5% on 2007. Of all plastics used by consumers, 24.9 million tons ended up as postconsumer waste, up from 24.6 million tons in 2006. 51.3% of post-consumer used plastic was recovered and half went to disposal. Of the 51.3% recovered, 5.3 million tons were recycled – as material and feedstock – and 7.8 million tons were recovered as energy.

Employment in the plastics industry

The recycling of plastics in South Africa has shown a steady increase during 2010.  According to the updated recycling figures released by Plastics|SA, there were 194 recyclers operating in 2010. 

The recyclers have managed to recycle 241 853 tons of plastics, provide 4 800 jobs  and create

35 000 indirect jobs with an annual payroll of R240 million.

Packaging facts

Did you know that 1.5g of plastics film extends the shelf life of a cucumber from 3 to 14 days? Packaging is one of the largest end uses for plastic in the marketplace. Approximately 52-55% of all polymer goes into packaging in South Africa. According to PlasticsISA, out of the 241 853 tons of plastics that were recycled, 182 032 tons was plastics packaging. This is an increase of 6% which is mainly due to the increased recycling rates for PE-LD/LLD (e.g. pallet wrap, shrink wrap, shrouds, liners, bags, form-fill and seal packaging, general flexible packaging, protective wrapping, bubble wrap etc) and PET beverage bottles. The total amount of plastics packaging in the waste stream was recorded as 605 000 tons in 2010. The derived recycling rate for plastics packaging is therefore 30,1 % . We presently recycle mechanically with no recovery for energy happening. Without plastic packaging, it is estimated that the tonnage of alternative packaging materials would increase by a factor of 4, greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of 2, costs by a factor of 1.9, energy use by a factor of 1.5 and waste by a factor of 1.9 in volume (Source: The Compelling Facts About Plastics 2009 An analysis of European plastics production, demand and recovery for 2008, EPRO, 2009[www.plasticsrecyclers.eu])

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End use for plastic

Packaging remains the biggest end-use for plastics in South Africa at 52% followed by 0ther uses at 11%. Other end uses for plastics include Building and Construction (7%), Electric/ Electronics (6%), Engineering (4%), Agriculture (4%), Transport and Automotive (4%), Medical (4%), Toys, leisure and sport (2%) and Clothing and Footwear (2%) (Source PlasticsISA).  By comparison in In Europe, in 2010, packaging was also the biggest end-use for plastics (39%) followed by Building and Construction (39%).Automotive (7.5%) and Electrical & Electronic (5.6%). Other applications, which include medical and leisure use at constituted 27.3%.

Plastics and Energy

Did you know that plastic products also save energy at the end of their life cycle – either through recycling or recovery of energy from waste? A recent study found that if plastics were to be replaced by alternative materials, there would be additional energy requirements of around 10 per cent or about 25 million tonnes of crude oil, which corresponds to 105 million tonnes of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions per year. This is equivalent to a third of the Kyoto reduction targets for EU-15 countries (source PlasticsISA). In terms of packaging alone, a separate study found that the use of plastics in packaging (versus alternative materials) saves 582.6 million gigajoules of energy per year. That’s the equivalent of 101.3 million barrels of oil.

Facts on PET in particular

PETCO

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. Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO currently chairs the Sustainability Council of PlasticsISA. The Council provides strategic leadership on sustainability issues in the plastics industry.

What is PET?

PET was first developed for use in 1941. Although originally produced for fibres, PET began to be used for packaging films in the mid-1960s and then, in the early 1970s, for manufacturing beverage bottles. The PET bottle was patented in 1973 by chemist Nathaniel Wyeth (brother of distinguished American painter Andrew Wyeth). The most common container in the soft drink market today in South Africa is the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle.  Recognisable as the transparent, rigid container used to package bottled water, carbonated soft drinks (CSD’s), sports drinks, water, juice, peanut butter, salad dressings, oil, cosmetics and household cleaners, PET is labelled with the # 1 code and is 100% recyclable. PET bottles are safe, contrary to old wives tales, PET is Bisphenol A (BPA) free, Dioxin free, Diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA) free, and phthalate free.

PET bottle recycling

PET bottles are 100% recyclable. The first PET bottle was recycled in 1977. Over 1.4 billion PET bottles are being recycled annually across South Africa, close to 4 million bottles recycled every day. In Europe in 2008, about 40% of all PET bottles were collected for recycling. In SA in 2011 we achieved an annual Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) recycling rate of 42% of post-consumer beverage PET.  42 651 tons of PET were collected and recycled out of a 145 000 ton 2011 local consumption resin market. Over the past 6 years we’ve gone from 9,840 to 42,651 tons of post-consumer PET bottles recycled or from 324 million bottles recycled in the first year to well over 1.4 billion bottles recycled in 2011.

How is PET collected?

Collection schemes differ from country to country and from town to town. However the methods used are generally one of the following:

• Kerbside collection: consumers separate bottles from their household waste putting them in special bags, then the bags are collected by the municipality;
• Drop-off Locations: collection containers are placed in particular locations where the consumer can leave his bottles;
• Return Vending: generally placed in supermarkets, return vending machines allow consumers to return containers and receive coupons or tokens in return.

Once the bottles are collected, they are sent to the sorting line to separate the various streams of material.

Carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of plastic water bottles can be reduced by 25% if consumers recycle them. As far as carbon is concerned, recycling 1 ton of PET saves 1.5 tons of CO², so total saved via PET recycling is in excess of 63 000 tons of CO² for 2011.  Did you know that recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W light bulb for up to 6 hours?

Job creation

Increasing PET plastic bottle recycling leads to job creation in the waste management, product development, manufacturing and marketing sectors. PETCO has contributed to the creation of 23 000- 26 000 income opportunities in the informal sector to date.

PET post-consumer product

Gauteng generates the most PET post-consumer product at 55% of the national total, followed by the Western Cape with 13%. KwaZulu Natal accounts for 10% of PET waste, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga account for 5% each, the North West and Free State each generate 4% of SA’s post-consumer PET product and Limpopo and Northern Cape create the smallest PET post-consumer product at 3% and 1% respectively.

What happens to your used PET bottles and containers?

Discarded post-consumer PET bottles are collected (principally by informal collectors), baled and delivered to the recycler. At present PET fetches one of the highest prices at recycler, with approximately 38 bottles making up 1kg of PET.

Within the recycling plant, bottle tops are removed and the bottles are inspected and sorted according to colour and material. The sorted bottles are washed and then conveyed to a granulator, where they are reduced to flakes before being screened.  These flakes are then washed, dried and then conveyed to an extruder where the material is turned into pellets. The finished product takes the form of small clear pellets which are supplied to end-users for production of other items. To see the Story of PET see www.petco.co.za

What is recycled PET used for?

The South African PET Recycling is unique in that almost all of the post-consumer PET bottles collected are recycled into a local end-use and not exported to China, as is done by many other countries. Recycled PET or rPET is used as feedstock into a number of items we encounter every day:  fibre for polyester carpeting, shopping bags, ceiling insulation and geotextiles ; fabric for T-shirts, long underwear, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery and sweaters; fibrefill for sleeping bags and winter coats; industrial strapping, sheet and film; automotive parts, such as luggage racks, headliners, fuse boxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels; and new PET containers for both food and non-food products.  Did you know that 19 x 500ml PET bottles make the fibre for a standard pillow?

PET is the building block of the common polyester chain, hence the name poly(ethylene terephthalate)- ester. The everyday name depends on whether it is being used as a fibre or as a material for making things like bottles for soft drinks. When it is being used as a fibre to make clothes, it is often just called polyester. It may sometimes be known by a brand name like Terylene. When it is being used to make bottles, for example, it is called PET.

The largest end-use market for post-consumer PET bottles in South Africa is currently the polyester staple fibre market (Bottle2Fibre) although we are slowly reaching market saturation.  There is installed capacity for Bottle2Foodgrade resin, with a recycled content of up to 25%, possible. Up take in the Bottle2Foodgrade sector is still relatively slow but it is improving with the recent release of detergents, sandwich packs and juice bottles with recycled content into the market. PETCO is however working with retailers and brand owners to increase the demand for PET recyclate. There are also approved technologies in place for post consumer PET bottles, to be recycled into new bottles (Bottle2Bottle) and this is where the future growth in South Africa will be. PETCO is currently spearheading a project with SABS to develop standards for recycled PET plastic content in food grade packaging.  To see the Story of PET see www.petco.co.za

Recently a number of recycled PET products received awards at the SAPRO best Recycled Product Awards 2012, see http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_dynamic_blog.php for more information.

PET collection/ drop off sites

You can assist in increasing collection of good, clean PET by:

• Participation in collection and awareness raising projects
• Making use of drop off facilities and plastics recovery stations at municipal collection points.
• Separation of waste into recyclable and non
• Increased purchasing and use of clear bags (that make it easier for collectors to see what’s in them)
• Maybe even buying items containing recycled content to “close the loop”

Find your nearest drop-off site or buy-back centre for recyclables at www.petco.co.za or visit www.mywaste.co.za

The Media Item Description Goes in Here ...

The 2012 Eco-Logic Award finalists have been announced. Congratulations to PET industry stakeholders Bottleworx who have been nominated in the Eco-Innovation Category as well as our very own plastics eco angel Nikita van der Merwe  who is nominated in the Youth category and all finalists in the Recycling category  – sponsored by Plastics|SA namely  Afripack, Collect-a-Can, PRASA, Indalo Yethu, Rocking the Daisies.

Note PETCO will be at Rocking the Daisies this year, so come and let your hair down, take your shoes off and visit our stand. See www.rockingthedaisies.com

Other finalists are as follows:

• Energy Saving – sponsored by The Enviropaedia: Kestrel, RISO, University of Free State, Asus, Vuka.
• Eco-Warrior – sponsored by MTN: Braam Malherbe, Ella Bella – Generation Earth, Jonathan Deal, Ivan Parkes, David Lipschitz – My Power Station.
• Eco-Angel – sponsored by Simply Green Magazine: Bridget Ringdahl – Eco Schools, Jeunesse Park – Food and Trees for Africa, Marcelle Meredith – NSPCA, Karen Trendler – EWT, Nicci Wright – FreeMe.
• Eco-Community - sponsored by SABC3: Coffee Shack, University of Western Cape, Oyster Bay, NACSA, LOWFT.
• Biodiversity – sponsored by the Department of Environmental Affairs: SANCCOB, Wilderness, Bergplaas Nature Reserve, Food and Trees for Africa, EWT.
• Climate Change – sponsored by Paarl Media: SAA, LED Lighting, Food and Trees for Africa, Kestrel, MTN.
• Eco-Innovation - sponsored by Standard Bank: Kommunity Group Projects, Betta Lights, RISO, Skylar, Bottleworx.
• Youth - sponsored by Pick n Pay: BlueBuck, Sean Hide – GrowaTree, Kgomotso Abel Mkhandawire – WESSA, Nikita van der Merwe, Generation Earth – Ella Bella.
• Water Conservation – sponsored by SAB and Rand Water: eWasha, Eco Wash, Reel Gardening, Flamingo Casino, Aquatrap.
• Transport – sponsored by ACSA: SAA, Eqstra, Findalift, EWT, Seed Experiences – Rocking the Daisies.

This year’s winners will be announced at a ‘Glamorously Green Gala Dinner’, hosted by The Enviropaedia and in association with SABC3, at The Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng on 27 September. Appropriate to the theme, guests have been invited to dress up in green fashion or in a way that demonstrates how they connect with nature.

The event is made possible by the sponsorship of Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa), Avis, RISO, Department of Environmental Affairs, Paarl Media, Plastics|SA, Rand Water, SAB Miller and The Enviropaedia.

See www.enviropaedia.com/ecologicawards/default.php

Business Day recently ran a 2 page spread on recycling, featuring the SAPRO awards results. Congratulations to our PETCO members that featured strongly in the awards line up.

The article titled "Remaking anything from furniture to roof tiles" read as follows:

Judges face tough decisions in Best Recycled Plastics Product of the Year competition from quality entrants THE Best Recycled Plastics Product of the Year competition has grown significantly since it was introduced three years ago, says South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (Sapro) chairman Douglas Greig. "We are purposefully aiming to create what has been called 'the Oscars of the plastics industry' as we acknowledge products that are made from post-consumer recycled materials and encourage brand owners and industrial designers to consider recycled plastics as a material of choice," says Greig. "Plastics packaging is a short-lived application for a valuable plastics raw material and is normally discarded after a day or two when the contents have been used. Recycling of plastics packaging is one way to ensure that the material and the energy is not lost. SA is among the world's leaders in mechanical recycling of its plastics products."

The winners of the 2012 competition, which was organised in collaboration with Plastics SA and the Packaging Council of SA (Pacsa), were announced at a gala dinner last night at Gallagher Estate in Midrand as one of the highlights of the plastic industry's national Clean-Up SA Week. Submissions were accepted in the following four product categories: products made from 100% recycled materials; products containing a certain percentage post-consumer recycled content; products made from a mixture of postconsumer recycled materials; and novel or artistic products made from recycled plastic. "We were thrilled with the entries we received, with an increase in both quality and quantity of submissions, as the entrants reflect the local plastic recycling industry's growth in size, sophistication and value," says Greig. A panel of plastics experts judged entries based on the following criteria: Life expectancy of product; Sustainability and long-term demand and market acceptance for product (will it still sell in five years' time?); Tonnage (potential tonnages) diverted from landfills and converted into a product replacement of alternative materials; Technical achievements in manufacturing excellence to overcome recycled material challenges; Measures taken to ensure product consistency and customer satisfaction despite recycled material content; 0 Environmental contribution of product in market place; and The wow factor. "Overall, we were looking for products that will help us focus attention on the quality of products and innovation that we have come to associate with local plastics recycling industry," says Greig.

The overall winner and recipient of the Pacsa Trophy for the Best Recycled Product of the Year was the Lasher Ecobarrow. Lasher obtained the moulding technology to manufacture the complete product in-house using state-of-the-art equipment. With the world's focus on environmental issues, recycled materials were a natural choice, with only the rim and axle made from virgin materials. Entries received in the novelty and artistic products category included the following: lights, vases, geyser blankets, hospitality slippers, woven goods from plastic waste trim, pop-up bins and gift packets. The judges were looking for products with a novelty value that also created awareness of recycling and re-utilisation of discarded products. The Gold Award went to the geyser blanket entered by the Eco Smart Group, which impressed the judges with its relevance in saving energy as well as utilising waste materials. The fact that it sells for less than the official geyser blankets on the market is a bonus, despite the labour intensive nature of the manufacturing process. The product has enormous potential to create awareness. Libere Light won the Silver Award with a light that is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles. Judges commended the light as a real novelty item with good aesthetic appeal that will draw attention to the reuse of waste packaging.

The Mixed Materials category has to take into account that plastic materials all melt at different temperatures and different polymers are kept separate during recycling. However, if the material does not have to be completely molten during manufacturing of a product, different plastics can be mixed together. These products are normally thick and bulky and do not display the typical plastic properties. In most instances, the materials, such as low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and polypropylene, are blended together and other non-plastic materials can be mixed with the plastics such sand, wood dust, saw dust and cellulose (such as wheat chaff). The entries received in this category included a picnic table, roof tiles, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and polypropylene, a floating golf green, paving blocks, a tree hugger bench and a vertical garden. In this category the judges particularly looked at the originality of the design and if the product was well put together. These bulky, durable products are normally huge and heavy and consume high tonnages of materials. The Gold Award went to Cyclo roof tiles entered by Cyclocor, which only began manufacturing the roof tiles four months ago. However, they have a couple of designs in various colours and have already managed to secure off-take agreements for 100% of their current production capacity of 100,000 tiles per month. The waste plastics are sourced from community-based waste management companies and collectors. The tiles will reduce the building cost of houses as the reduced weight necessitates fewer trusses and roof support beams. The company will expand its manufacturing facilities in the next year with a new factory in Gauteng as well as in the Western Cape. The tree hugger bench, which is made by NewLife Plastics in Cape Town, gained the Silver Award. Judges were impressed with the strong, simple design that will fit just about anywhere and will look equally good in a public park as it will in a suburban garden. The assembled tree hugger bench is also exceptionally steady.

The Percentage of Recycled Content category entries included a wheelbarrow, jacket hanger, fencing, handles, ball, pallet, a bottle and a crate. Brand owners are under pressure from environmentally conscious consumers to become more "green". Consumers want to know their product is not damaging the environment and want to feel good about buying the product. The average consumer is not prepared to sacrifice his popular brand or to make any sacrifices himself, but he is looking towards the brand owner to assist him in his environmentally conscious decisions. The products in this category cannot lose their pleasing appearance and will still be completely functional. At the end of its useful fife, the product will enter the recycling stream as it is fully recyclable. Consumer acceptance and aesthetic appeal were the key factors used by the judges to make a decision. The Lasher Ecobarrow won the Gold Award. The consumer is bombarded with a wide range of tools and utensils in the DIY, gardening, construction and agricultural market with the bulk of the products from eastern origin. The judges said the design of the ecobarrow was properly thought through to result in an attractive, ergonomically pleasing product that will outlive most of its users while maintaining the strong brand identity. There were two Silver Awards in this category. The first was awarded to the Unilever Sunlight liquid bottle. At current production levels of the bottle, 300 tons of PET is kept away from landfill sites. However, Unilever is aiming to produce the bottle from 100% recycled PET (rPET) as soon as they can get enough of it. rPET only recently became available in SA, and the demand exceeds the supply. A second Silver Award was given to the Lavaplastic range of products. This woven lattice was originally developed for fencing in coastal dune rehabilitation. The demand for lavaplastic has subsequently been developed for the domestic DIY market for garden screening, edging, outdoor furniture and decoration. This PVC product is maintenance free and has an estimated life span of more than 30 years. The recyclable materials for the lattices are obtained from industrial, as well as postconsumer, PVC waste. The lava posts are made from an assortment of post consumer polyolefin and PET waste. The product has been fully accepted by the eThekwini municipality and more than 500m has been installed to date in problematic coastal dune sites around Durban.

Sapro received 12 entries in the 100% Recycled Material category for which recycled material originating from industrial as well as postconsumer sources qualified. The judges evaluated the products for its fit-for-purpose and consumer acceptance. Due to the inconsistency of raw material of this nature, attention was also given to the technical achievements of the manufacturer to ensure process stability and product consistency. This is also the category that utilises the highest tonnage of post-consumer waste. The entries included termite barrier film; chicken nest; poles and droppers; kiddies' chairs and table; no-spill paint lid; plastic tap lock; pallet; vineyard trellis pole; refuse bag; and worm bin. The Gold Award was won by the rPET Lomold pallet, which was the result of technological innovations, countless material formulations and a complete set of testing equipment and procedures that were developed over 10 years. The biggest challenge with plastic pallets is the ability to match wood pallets both in cost and load-carrying capacity. To match the desired cost profile, the weight needed to be about half that of equivalent plastic pallets while still delivering higher performance. Lomold pallets are able to match and exceed the load requirements. Using rPET as base material, they can also approach the cost profile of wood pallets due to its low weight, and lower costs in terms of repair and residual value because they are fully recyclable, which drives down the life cycle costs of owning and maintaining a pool of pallets. The first Silver Award goes to the Tuffy refuse bag. Tuffy runs 6,000 tons of material through its plant every year, equating to 240-million refuse bags. The company manufactures all its black refuse bags from 100% recycled material, the majority of which is post-consumer. Tuffy has become the first company in SA to receive SGS accreditation for having fully-recycled content in their refuse bags. The second Silver Award was allocated to the chicken nest entered by M&S Plastics. The nest is blow moulded and used by breeding farmers and egglaying farms especially for free range eggs. The judges liked the way that a solution was developed to save the customer considerable costs without incurring large cost themselves. A unit of 24 plastic chicken nests in a steel frame results in a saving of at least R800 per unit. In one chicken house are typically 63 units or 1,512 nests. The nest has a "lip" in the front that prevents wood shavings from being kicked out, resulting in further savings. Wood shavings are a major expense to chicken farmers. The product is lightweight, easy to maintain and clean. It is resistant to corrosive cleaning chemicals and does not rust. There is no need for virgin material in this application. By using mixed colour blow moulded material, the chickens are comfortable and relaxed in the dark nest environment.

Judges received one entry that did not fit into any of the categories, but they spent quite a bit of time on it and decided that it justified a Judges' Special Mention Award, which goes to the Bottleworx Building System. Bottleworx designed, developed and patented a range (500m1 to 5,OOOm1) of functional PET containers for liquid and granular products such as wine, cool drinks and fortified foods. The cubic efficient interlocking design reduces the transportation footprint and skips the need for secondary packaging. Once the content has been consumed, the building system is designed to re-use the empty bottles as building bricks for houses, classrooms and other functional buildings. The "container bricks" are held together in metal framework and the air in the container bricks has excellent insulating thermal and sound properties that saves the owner energy costs for many years. This innovation drastically reduces construction costs of buildings and is an example of a product being designed to be reused for useful purpose. The Lavaplastic fence, above, is used to hold back dunes. The Eco Smart Group won an award for its geyser blanket design, left. The tree hugger bench, left is made by New Life Plastics. Unilever aims to produce the Sunlight liquid bottle from 100% recycled PET.

The PETCO team and 160 volunteers cleaned up Robben Island today, in honour of International Coastal Clean up day! Fantastic weather was enjoyed by all and loads of plastic, shipping materials and household waste was recovered off of the shoreline. One of our younger volunteers was thrilled to find a "ken" doll- although naked from head to foot, he was still in good nick, and she returned home delighted at her find!

Last year, this initiative saw 14 159 people, scouring 488km of coast and inland waterways, collecting debris which filled 14 269 bags weighing 44 738kg. We look forward to the results of this years International Coastal Clean up efforts!

As you are aware, this week is Clean-up South Africa Week  (www.cleanup-sa.co.za) Friday sees us celebrate  Recycling Day (www.recyclingday-SA.co.za) with the 27^th Annual International Coastal Clean-Up Day (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/) falling on Saturday 15 September 2012.09.12

What will you be doing in an effort to clean up SA?

Here are a few  clean-ups planned around South Africa…

CAPE TOWN:

15 September: Intl Coastal Clean up day

• Blouberg Beach Clean-up (from 10:00). For more information, contact Gregory Player at gregory_player@hotmail.com
• Plastics SA, Transnet and the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), the Two Oceans Aquarium - Sunset Beach Clean up in Table View (09:00 - 12:00). For more information, contact John Kieser at John.kieser@plasticsSA.co.za or Katja Rockstroh on Katja.Rockstroh@aquarium.co.za
• Woolworths Woodbridge Island Clean up

KWAZULU-NATAL:

15 September: Intl Coastal Clean up day

• Beachwood Mangrove (09:00 - 12:00) DUCT and Hulamin's “Community Clean-Up Day”. For more information, contact John Butler at John@duct.org.za
• Diving In Africa - Umkomaas Beach (08:00 - 12:00). For more information, email dritson1@facebook.com
• Battery Beach Clean up (9-11) contact Ingrid on 0741349907 or email durbanbeachcleanup@yahoo.com
• DUC Beach cleanup ( 08h00 for 08h30) more info at http://www.duc.co.za/index.php/events-7/2012-duc-beachcleanup/

LIMPOPO

• Mutale River in the north-eastern corner of the Limpopo Province.  Contact Dawid him at 083 538 2865

EASTERN CAPE

Friday 14 September

• Knysna Estuary, Time: 09h00 CONTACT Miss. Thilivhali Meregi (021) 819 2454 OR EMAIL tmeregi@environment.gov.za
• A number of schools will participate in the WESSA clean-up event with the Cape Recife Conservancy 14:30

15 September: Intl Coastal Clean up day

• WESSA, WESSA, in partnership with the Border Canoe Club, Coca Cola Fortune  and the EL Lifesavers Club Nahoon Clean up (Border Canoe Club) (14:00)
• KINGS BEACH D.A  Dean Biddulph (082-5596158)
• MacARTHUR D.A  Dean Biddulph (082-5596158)
• HUMEWOOD Boardwalk Casino Joy Smith (041-5077706)
• HOBIE Boardwalk Casino Joy Smith (041-5077706)
• SUMMERSTRAND / POLLOCK Woolworths Sardia De Vries (083-3792868)
• FLAT ROCKS / POLLOCK Summerstrand Hotel Nicky Saayman (041-5823131)
• CAPE RECIEFE C. R. Concervancy Morgan Griffiths (072-4175793)
• RIFLE RANGE / NUDIE C. R. Concervancy Morgan Griffiths (072-4175793)
• NOORDHOEK / LOOKOUT Noordhoek Boat Club Piet Botha (082-7298062)
• SACROMENTO / SARDINIA BAY Sardinia Bay Sue Hoffman (072-8636138)
• BUSHY PARK /LAURIES & KINI BAY's Bushy Park Dairy Puffer Hertinbach (082-3214335)
• MAITLANDS to VAN STAADENS S. A 4x4 Club Ann-Louise Van der Berg (083-35711377)
• BLUE HORIZON Blue Horizon Bay Jeanette Nolte (083-6551050)
• Van Der RIETS E.P Angling Ken Pressly (079-4900462) / Gerrie Delport (082-9291083)
• SUNDAYS / COLCHESTER   Clyde Scott (082-4155264
• BLUE WATER BAY Swaartkops Trust Jenny Rump (082-8530700)

INLAND

14 September: Recycling day

• Collect-a-can Recycling Day Event and Clean-up ( 09:00-16:00) Nkanyezi Recreational Sports Center in Moroka North, Soweto contact Lindi Berrino on 011 317 3861 / 082 720 5147 / lindi@reputationmatters.co.za
• Cleanup in the Diepsloot Informal Settlement, just outside Sandton. contact Flora Marutle flora.marutle@baml.com

15 September: Intl Coastal Clean up day

• Walk Through the Vlei in Midrand (14:00)  contact Colleen: 082 652 6655

See Clean up diary http://www.cleanup-sa.co.za/cleanupdiary.htm to find more information on dates, times and clean-up sites near you.

PETCO launches 3 projects in the Eastern Cape on Monday 10 September 2012, which have received support via the provision of equipment for their operations. The projects namely Enviroman and Green Guardian in Jeffrey’s Bay and Cannibal Multi Recycling in Port Elizabeth are all established businesses providing waste management and recycling services but also sustaining the economy through the provision of jobs, skills development and upliftment in the broader communities they touch.

“Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) recyclers, collectors and reclaimers need support, and PETCO needs funds from the PET industry in order to support these role-players in the collection of PET in South Africa” says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO. At present, PETCO is funded by the PET industry, via the recycling levies paid on the purchase of resin/raw material and via grants-in-aid. The funds support a constant supply and demand for post-consumer PET and are used to sustain and grow PET bottle collection, as well as stimulate the demand for post-consumer PET through the development of end use markets.

The recycling levy collected by PETCO is used in support of two types of programmes namely Category ‘A’ and ‘B’ Projects. Category ‘A’ projects focus on increasing the economically viable collection and recycling of post-consumer PET through the utilisation of existing collection and recycling infrastructure, and help to facilitate their establishment where it does not currently exist. These projects drive the volume of PET recycling through PET recyclers who have an end-use market in their value chain.

Through its Category ‘B’ Project drive, PETCO supports initiatives and activities that do not necessarily increase the collection volumes of recycled PET, but contribute to the visible recycling of PET. These include PET Recovery and Recycling stations, Separation at Source schemes, Education and Awareness Raising initiatives, Clean Up Campaigns and Litter Awareness drives, Training and Capacity Building programs and Joint Venture projects with Government, NGO’s and Industry. The 3 Eastern Cape projects fall into this category.

What started as an Environmental Management company back in 2008, ENVIROMAN (Pty) Ltd is a black owned environmental management business providing a one-stop waste management service in the Eastern Cape Province. They service mainly the Jeffrey’s Bay, Humansdorp, St Francis areas and focus on responsible and accountable environmental management solutions for the public and private sector through waste management, training and consultancy and the provision of waste recycling services. One of the main objectives of this project is to assist with job creation and upliftment of the local community. They currently employ 16 permanent staff members and empower approximately 120 in the community through their activities. PETCO has supported Enviroman through the provision of a baling machine at their facility.

Also located in Jeffrey’s Bay, Green Guardian is a fully integrated waste and recycling service that incorporates education, awareness program and skills development programs, mentoring services and waste management services including establishment of key collection points with suburban and metropolitan areas and the transportation of recyclable waste to the relevant recycling facilities. PETCO has assisted Green Guardian through the provision of 100 wheelie bins and a baling machine for their facility. Green Guardian currently runs a schools program which sees 1381 children involved in the project, they also work with a number of clinics collecting recyclables in the Jeffrey’s Bay, Humansdorp area and surrounds. They currently employ 12 people formally, and 29 on a casual basis and support in excess of 500 people through their initiatives.

Since its inception in 2003, Cannibal Multi Recycling has aimed to be instrumental in eradicating litter and contributing towards job creation in the broader Port Elizabeth area, with the supply and distribution of receptacles for litter collection, to formal waste collections from businesses in the area, organisation and sponsorship of regional clean-ups and the promotion of consumer awareness and educational campaigns. Cannibal Multi Recycling helps unemployed people to make a living out of recyclables assisting newly formed one-man businesses and entrepreneurs to sell their materials to specialist recyclers. Cannibal Multi Recycling is currently employs 17 people, who receive wages on a weekly/monthly basis. Approximately 1200 people from East London and surrounds, and since September 2011 an estimated 1500 people from Port Elizabeth, earn an income out of supplying material to Cannibal Multi Recycling. As part of its social responsibility, Cannibal Multi Recycling is helping the recycling process by distributing bottle banks and 6 ton skip containers free of charge (sponsored by The Glass Recycling Company). PETCO recently donated a baling machine to Cannibal Multi Recycling to assist them with their material handling capacity.

“Balers can be the driving force behind huge savings and increased efficiency in the area of waste processing” says Belinda Booker, PETCO’s Category B Project Manager. There are tremendous streamlining and efficiency benefits (aside from recycling benefits) that can be derived by baling and compacting waste. It is fairly logical that waste streams, like PET, with the highest air content achieve the highest benefits from compaction. Reducing loose waste to cubes of material (whether compacted or baled) not only reduces the spacial requirements in hauling the material, thus maximising payloads, as more compacted /baled material can be accommodated in a load as opposed to making frequent ‘tips’ of loose, non-compacted material that takes up a lot of space but less space is taken up on if the material is sent to landfill when not recycled. Baling of material also offers management insight into quantities of waste handled at their facility (as it is easier to quantify knowing the size and weight of bales). As we all know, you can only monitor and improve on what you can measure!

Bale weights and sizes can vary greatly and are dependent on the size of the baler used, handling routines and general logistics such as the size of vehicle used for hauling. Collectors transport and sell baled plastic to recyclers. The approximate price currently being paid by recyclers for baled bottles delivered to their plants is in the region of R3.50 per kg. This price is variable and depends on quality of bales etc. The big recyclers don't buy loose bottles. The more volume and the better condition the recyclables are in, i.e. if they are clean, unsoiled, sorted by colour and plastic type and in dense bales, the more desirable they are for purchase by a recycler.

“Before balers are donated to a business, PETCO considers the volume of PET being handled at the facility as well as the increased volumes that could be achieved with the introduction of the equipment” says Booker “We typically set a goal of 20 tons per month for the facilities where balers have been donated and watch our collectors’ progress in reaching this target” she added.

Aside from operational efficiencies, balers also derive benefits related to environmental issues and community image as through streamlining their waste processing, facilities end up with cleaner, neater facilities, with less fire hazards associated with loose material piling up around the facility.
“PETCO is all about Partnerships, Responsibility and Environmental Integrity” says Scholtz. PETCO aims to minimize the environmental impact of post-consumer PET on the South African landscape and supported through the PET industry, strives to contribute to the sustainable growth of the PET plastic recycling industry, supporting existing and encouraging new PET collection and recycling networks. “We hope that this businesses model will not only be sustainable but address the issue of job creation, both direct and indirect in the South African economy” she added.
PETCO has helped to generate almost 26 000 indirect jobs in the recycling and collection sector, reducing poverty across South Africa. In the 3 projects featured, 45 permanent jobs have been created, 150 casual jobs, and 4581 adults and children empowered in the local community.
PETCO currently offers support on its web via the provision of information on collection points in your area and provides tools and resources for domestic users, schools and collectors, including “How to start a recycling programme’ and “Design Guidelines for Recycling”. “The Story of PET” showing what happens to a plastic bottle after it has been consumed and collected is also available for viewing. See www.petco.co.za.
Find PETCO on twitter and facebook: 1isPET

Ends

Contact details for Projects featured:

Green Guardian
Johan Fourie
jfourie@greenguardian.co.za

Cannibal Multi Recycling
Leon van der Watt
cannibalglass2@aerosat.co.za

Enviroman
Lynn Venter
lynn@enviroman.co.za


Eastern Cape PETCO Shareholder Members
• Buylines 131 (Pty) Ltd (t/a Elpet and Purple line)
• Coca-Cola SABCO (Coca-Cola Fortune)
• PETech (Pty) Ltd (Plastech - Astrapak)
• Tsitsikamma Crystal Water
• Twizza (Azores Manufacturers)

Eastern Cape PETCO Associate Members

• Community Empowerment
• Liedon Business Trust t/a City Recyclers
• The Waste Trade Company
• Waste Plan
• Green Cycle


Released By: Lisa Parkes
For: PET Recycling Company (Pty) Ltd
Marketing, Membership & Events Manager – PETCO
Lisa.parkes@petco.co.za
021 794 6300 / 082 749 6132
Call toll free: 0860 147 738 ( 0860 1 is PET)
Find us on twitter & facebook: 1isPET

Spokesperson: Cheri Scholtz
CEO- PETCO
PET Recycling Company (Pty) Ltd
021 794 6300

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) plans to assist municipalities in providing waste receptacles for recycling to households as part of its National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS), says Engineering News Online (http://m.engineeringnews.co.za/article/dea-looking-to-supply-recycling-bins-to-households-2012-07-31) The NWMS advocates for separation at source and aims to promote waste reduction, reusing, recycling and recovery of waste. It also intends that all metropolitan municipalities, secondary cities and large towns should establish separation at source by 2016.

The DEA has issued an expression of interest for companies to supply a three-bin recycling system, which would be distributed to households. The bins should be separate or separable to allow for individual units to move independently and have different colours to distinguish between wastes, or have the same colour with different lid colours.

Further, the DEA specified that each bin should have a 50 ℓ capacity and must be robust and sturdy to withstand knocks and rough treatment. The bins must also be stable and unlikely to topple over, while it must be lightweight and easy to move on wheels.

DEA spokesperson Albi Modise told Engineering News Online that local procurement for the materials would play a role, as all procurement processes undertaken by government follow the Public Finance Management Act and the procurement process of the Department would be followed.

“We are also looking at locally based companies that can supply the required bins as the specifications stated,” he noted.

Modise concluded that the DEA was looking for funding streams for the supply of these bins, from local and international investors.

PETCO are launching 3 of our Eastern Cape projects and all industry stakeholders in the PE region are invited!
Meet our beneficiaries & hear more about PETCO’s drive to contribute to the visible
promotion of PET collection & recycling in the Eastern Cape.

Date: 10 September 2012
Time: 9:00 for 9:30 start
Venue: Ibhayi Conference Centre, 144 Main Road, Walmer

Program
9:00- 9:30: Arrival, finger breakfast & refreshments
9:30-10:00: Welcome, background to PETCO and Category B projects
10:00-10:45: Project showcase (Enviroman, Cannibal Glass & Green Guardian )
10:45 -15:30:Guided bus tour to 3 project sites (optional)

Should you wish to join us, please RSVP by 8 September 2012 to Lisa.parkes@petco.co.za

Temperature gauges are still inconsistent with mercury rising to 30 degrees in some places,  snow in others, but most South Africans are quizzically admiring the spring buds shyly making their appearance on branches all over the country. With spring in the air PETCO encourages all out there to spring into action, spring cleaning not only your homes but in cleaning up our environment as well!

With a focus on the importance of individual efforts, Clean-up South Africa Week  (www.cleanup-sa.co.za) runs from  10 - 15 September this year. The aim of the week is to raise awareness and harness the power of the collective, encouraging individuals to help rid our countryside of litter and recycle their waste via a number of planned activities, events and drives. Another environmental day that has been added to the calendar this year is Recycling Day (www.recyclingday-SA.co.za).  Plastics|SA, with the support of PETCO and other polymer groups, has initiated an annual Recycling Day which falls on 14 September –to increase awareness by educating the community about the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling.  “PETCO is encouraging its members, network and the community to support these initiatives” says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO.” Not only do they raise the profile of the importance of the recycling, thus diverting waste from landfill- but they shine a light on the market for recycled materials “ she added. By recycling materials we decrease the necessity to import raw materials, plus less energy is used when recycled materials are included in the manufacturing process.

All good things come in threes, with International Coastal Clean-Up Day (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/) completing the trio of environmental initiatives, falling on the 15^th of September this year.  This will be the 27th Annual International Coastal Clean-Up Day and is the culmination of Clean-Up South Africa Week, highlighting awareness around the problem of marine and coastal litter. Last year, this initiative saw 14 159  people, scouring 488km of coast and inland waterways, collecting debris which filled 14 269 bags weighing 44 738kg. This year organisers expect even more volunteers to join and pick up anything that wasn't left there by nature, leaving only footprints. PETCO will be joining Plastics| SA and Bird life Africa doing a beach clean-up on Robben Island, as well as supporting Plastics| SA and Woolworths with the team joining school groups on a clean up of Woodbridge Island in Cape Town. PETCO will also be in action in Gauteng as well, as being land locked is no excuse not to spring into action. In addition to beach clean ups and dives, numerous clean-up drives are being planned for inland waterways, streams, and dams all over South Africa where people can clear away litter throughout the month of September. Visit http://www.cleanup-sa.co.za/cleanupdiary.htm to find more information on dates, times and clean-up sites near you.

PETCO  has the specific objective of promoting and improving the waste management and recycling of post consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) products and are currently running a campaign that PET is not trash, advocating the use, reuse and recycling of PET underpinned by a strong message that it is too valuable as a resource to be wasted. “Every bottle we collect counts…” says Scholtz, “by recycling 1 ton of plastic bottles, we save 1.5 tons of CO²   emissions and divert 1 ton of material from landfill. This coupled with the blossoming emergence of end use market for recycled PET is a sound case for ensuring these bottles do not end up in landfill”. Scholtz advises that last year alone, 42 651 tons of PET was collected and recycled. Currently 1.4 billion PET bottles are being recycled annually across South Africa, close to 4 million bottles recycled every day. Recycling presents real opportunities for income generation and alleviation of poverty through job creation. PETCO has helped to generate almost 26 000 indirect jobs, reducing poverty across South Africa.  To see what happens to your PET bottle when it is recycled, see The Story of PET at http://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/about_petco_10_the_story_of_%20pet.php

Turning the tide on waste and litter, by actively cleaning up, is one of the easiest ways to help protect our precious environment , in addition to raising awareness and encouraging long lasting behaviour change. This too can install a sense of civic pride in our communities- so roll up your sleeves and  volunteer your time this  September to keep South Africa healthier, cleaner and greener….and please remember to update us on your activities via Twitter or Facebook at 1isPET!

The UK’s Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment welcomes the conclusions of a new report from PwC which acknowledges that there is no such thing as sustainable packaging  and that the supply chain must be viewed as a whole, not a sum of disconnected parts, when considering environmental impacts………see report at http://bit.ly/Qlyr1f

It all started in 2004, when stakeholders tabled a wish list with the former Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, who had allocated a substantial amount of funds for the construction of a Botanical Garden and an Environmental Awareness Centre in the Limpopo Province. The first sod of soil was turned back then, and now, years later, after a few stoppages in construction and the commitment of further funding by the Department of Environmental Affairs, the Science Education Building has been officially completed and has been handed over to the University of Limpopo. The “Science Education Centre”, or “The Centre” as it is fondly named, will serve to promote education, conservation and research among the provincial community and beyond. Aside from driving biodiversity conservation in SADC the Centre will also serve as a Hub to bring various role players together to be part of the initiatives, and thus will facilitate community development, job creation, research opportunities, stimulate financial support and facilitate the development of staff and students of the University of Limpopo.

The Centre strives to be the University’s’ premier avenue for community outreach in Limpopo. Located at the  University of Limpopo's Turfloop Campus, the Centre will consolidate existing running units of the University namely the Herbarium, a section of the Animal unit (called the Animal Park), the Science Centre and Fablab.

The Centre will also house permanent exhibition stands, one of which has been allocated to PETCO. PETCO, as an organisation, aims to minimize the environmental impact of post-consumer PET on the South African landscape by achieving sustainable growth in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic recycling; supporting existing and encouraging new PET collection and recycling networks; and promoting consumer education and awareness programmes.

“The Centre is a fantastic initiative and our permanent exhibition is a fitting avenue to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable development and to government's policies of waste management, minimization and recycling” says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO. “PETCO sees this as a wonderful opportunity to promote the mission of the centre, and support community education, conservation and research” added Scholtz.

The PETCO exhibition will showcase how post-consumer PET bottles ( those collected after use, that would normally have gone to landfill) are recycled and reduced to recycled PET (rPET) pellets which are supplied to end-users for production of a number of items including fibre for polyester carpets, fabric for T-shirts and bags, fibrefill for sleeping bags, pillows and coats, geotextiles and a newly emerging sector for bottle-2-bottle. “As one of our aims is to promote and improve the recycling of post-consumer-use PET plastic on behalf of all stakeholders in the South African PET industry, PETCO sees education as key, together with innovation in the product development arena to encourage the use of  rPET content, thus unlocking demand for the material” says Scholtz. “The youth are the future and we feel it’s our responsibility to educate as well as challenge in the arena of thought leadership” she added.

The Centre, which was opened by Deputy Minister of the Department of Water and

Environmental Affairs, Hon. Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi and the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Limpopo University, Prof NM Mokgalong, supports government’s mandate to increase quality participation in the sciences and support conservation.

Limpopo recently saw the over 11.4 million being handed over to the Mopani District Municipality by Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, for the development of the Mopani Waste Recycling and Buy Back Centre in Maruleng, Limpopo. The Department of Environmental Affairs through its Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Programme (EPIP) is funding the implementation of the project using labour intensive methods as per the requirements of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Read more...

September sees a bumper month, abuzz with activities aimed at cleaning up our country, beaches and waterways, as well as raising awareness around anti-littering, recycling and behavior change. The principal of The Birches Eco-school in Pinetown could not resist sending in the pics of their ‘berg to beach’ mural that they created at the school! The mural was designed in 2010 as a ‘Happy KZN’ picture intended to show responsible Environmental practice ‘From the Drakensburg; through the Valley of 1000 hills, down the Umgeni (River) into Durban’!  The mural is a work in progress and we look forward to seeing it on completion……

Dates to diarize for the month ahead once Spring has sprung:

Clean-up SA Week (10-15 September 2012) www.cleanup-sa.co.za

Recycling-Day SA (14 September) www.recyclingday-sa.co.za

International Coastal Clean-up Day (15 September )

“Unless somebody like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not”- well put by the The Once-ler in the Lorax, possibly the most enjoyable and inspiring anmated children's move of late. Check out this fantastic site , http://www.plasticsandthelorax.com/, which gives children tools and information to learn about plastic and the environment and make a difference EVERYDAY!.

Happy Womens Day to all! Its good to see that women are active in waste management circles, waging war on waste!!! The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) recently announced the appointment of two women into the key roles of President and Vice-President of the organisation following the recent elections of new council and committee members. The IWMSA is proud to rank amongst its members, a number of women who are not only exceptionally well educated and experienced, but also passionate about the important role that good waste management practices play in improving both our society and our environment. read more at http://leadsa.co.za/?p=9346

 PETCO are proud to launch  their  latest  video- “The Story of PET”. This punchy video is aimed at awareness raising and education around the ins and outs of the PET recycling process. So next time you toss that PET bottle in the recycling.... give some thought to it’s journey to becoming a new bottle or fibre for pillows, insulation or geotextile! To view the video go to

http://youtu.be/nMS8C1fUWqE

http://youtu.be/nMS8C1fUWqE

 \\To T to

The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) has announced that entries are now open for its third annual "Best Recycled Plastics Product of the Year" Competition. According to SAPRO Chairman, Douglas Greig, the winners of the 2012 competition will once again be announced at a Gala Dinner on Thursday, 13 September 2012 as one of the highlights of the plastic industry’s national Clean-Up South Africa Week. Last year's overall winner and recipient of the PACSA Trophy for the Best Recycled Product of the Year was Polypet who entered its 1.5 litre cooldink bottle manufactured for Woolworths. "This competition has grown in leaps and bounds since we introduced the awards for the first time three years ago. We are purposefully aiming to create what has been called "the Oscars of the Plastics Industry" as we are acknowledge products that are made from post-consumer recycled materials and encourage brand owners and industrial designers to consider recycled plastics as a material of choice", Greig says.

The organizers will be inviting submissions in the following four product categories:

1) Products made from 100 % recyclate

2) Product containing a certain percentage post-consumer recycled content

3) Products made from a mixture of post-consumer recycled materials

4) Novel or artistic products made from recycled plastic

Entry forms, rules and competition information can be obtained from the SAPRO website (www.sapro.biz), the Plastics SA website (www.plasticsinfo.co.za/events/sapro) or could be requested from the organizers directly via the email address Annabe@absamail.co.za. The closing date for entries is Friday, 24 August 2012.

PETCO sponsored The Recycling Box with 10 new sewing machines in order to increase the production of rPET products which are viable in the commercial markets.

Lisa Kuhle from Recycling Box has always been passionate about education, training and employment opportunities in SA. The Recycling Box brands have diverted over 15 tons of plastic from landfill (either up cycled or recycled) through production of products since inception in August 2010.

The new sewing machines are currently being used in Germiston to produce a new hotel range; some of the products will include geyser bags, newspaper holders and linen covering.
“PETCO is very proud to support Lisa and we look forward to seeing her expanded range of rPET products” said PETCO Category B Manager, Belinda Booker.

For more information on The Recycling Box visit www.therecyclingbox.co.za

PETCO Category B Manager, Belinda Booker hands over the sewing machines to Lisa Kuhle
 

PETCO sponsored Remade recycling with 10 x 28m³ bins to further increase the collection of PET plastic for recycling.The handover of the branded bins took place on the 11th March in Alberton.“We are always looking for ways to increase the collection of clean PET  and are delighted to be supporting Remade in their efforts” said Belinda Booker, PETCO.

Remade who is an associate member of PETCO currently collects recyclables in Gauteng, Nelspruit, Hazyview and the Southern Cape Region. “We aim to continuously grow the volume of all recyclable material and keep the environment clean while creating income opportunities” said Director of Remade, Bryce Blum.

For more information on Remade visit www.remade.co.za

WasteWant is a recycling collection business situated in Stikland, Cape Town. Owned and run by Anthony Jardine and Lydia Anderson-Jardine, the business operates as a buy-back centre for multi- recyclables (glass, cans, paper, and plastic). There are also two municipal drop-off sites, contracted by WasteWant where the public can drop off all recyclable goods:

WasteWant Killarney      -              Municipal Drop-off Site, Potsdam Road, Killarney
                                                            079 020 5434 Rodrique & 073 190 0680 Caroline

WasteWant Woodstock   -             Municipal Drop-Off Site, Beach Road, Woodstock
                                                            021 820 4134 (contact – Lionel)


In operation since August 2010, WasteWant currently employ 12 permanent and 8 temporary staff. “Having been involved in Solid Waste Management for 10 years, I realised that our landfill sites are full and there was potential for me to play a role in the preservation of the environment through diverting waste from landfill” says Lydia.WasteWant recently joined PETCO as associate members. Currently collecting 15 tons of PET per month with potential for more.“We look forward to being part of the PETCO family and utilising our membership advantages and would like to invite collectorsand businesses to support their initiatives,” say the Jardines.The organisation is also involved with school projects, bed and breakfasts and other private organisations.
 

The organisation is also involved with school projects, bed and breakfasts and other private organisations.

For more information contact:   WasteWant Stikland          12 Farad Street, Stikland
                                                                                                        021 – 948 44 22 / 021 – 820 4105 (contact – Kim)

*Ensure that you find out what recyclables they accept before dropping off.

Last year, we well and truly found ourselves in top spot. We saw nearly 40 000 tons of PET collected, we moved into fresh new offices, reclaimed the high ground with the launch of our innovative consumer ad campaign, and received more than R20 million’s worth of media coverage.

So let’s dive into 2012. We’ve got a lot planned for this year with many exciting activities designed exclusively for our members. Take a look at the calendar of events here on our website for a list of the PETCO workshops.

The first, in February, is a fast-paced inspiration-fest of ideas where some of the top people in our country will challenge and stimulate you. In the style of Pecha Kucha (if you’ve never heard of that, you just have to come along to see), our speakers won’t skip a beat and you’re guaranteed to be on the edge of your seat.

Our second workshop in April is an innovative session where participants determine what will be discussed through a democratic process, on the day! This will break down the traditional boundaries between audience and speakers and allow the freshest perspectives through.

Workshop 3 will see cutting-edge political, business and trend analysis, on both a South African and international scale, focused very much on waste and recycling. And the final workshop of the year will bring about possibly the most heated debate on whether waste management in SA can collaboratively plan and implement a strategy of innovation.

As PETCO’s social presence grows on Facebook and Twitter, we encourage you to join the conversation on PET and recycling in South Africa for the absolute latest in news.

We’ve also planned exciting exhibitions and extensive clean-ups as the months roll around. Keep checking our calendar for these fun events.

So stay tuned, encourage others to visit the website to find everything from collection points to top recycling tips, and let’s get stuck into a year of success. Best wishes for a prosperous New Year from all of us at PETCO.

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 came in is truly valuable and not fit for the trash.

Bottled water and soft drinks are most often delivered in plastic bottles made from PET, short for Polyethylene Terephthalate (even getting your tongue around that is thirsty work).

If you throw the bottle away it simply gets carted to a landfill where it piles up and is rendered useless forever.

Please recycle PET bottles. Today we’re able to put them to incredibly good use in all sorts of other applications. Recycled PET is used to make fibre filling for jackets, duvets and pillows; non-woven automotive carpets; roof insulation; geotextiles; and even turned back into both food and non-food packaging.

Not only is this good for the environment. It’s also good for the economy. PET recycling (from the collectors to the sorters, converters and manufacturers) creates thousands of income opportunities annually.

And that’s a great way to ensure we live more sustainably and go into 2012 already with prospects of success.

Happy holidays and a prosperous New Year from all of us at PETCO.

You’d be hard-pressed to find more visible proof of the power of recycling PET (and the senselessness of discarding it) than at a beach clean up. Not only are the beaches restored to their former beauty, the local communities’ lives are also improved in the process.

Recently, at an initiative hosted by Peninsula Beverages, PETCO educated the community on the value of collecting and recycling PET. It motivated a group of 200 children to stuff more than 20 bags to absolute capacity with PET. They were treated to snacks and Coca-Cola for their hard work, But the ultimate reward is so much greater; understanding the value of not letting PET become trash.

"The weather turned out to be quite lovely despite the rain the day before and the kids had loads of fun learning about PET recycling as well as cleaning the Strandfontein coastline" says PETCO PRO, Lynn Du Plessis.

Similarly, a project initiated by the CMR Centre (Christelke Maatskaplike Raad) from Jeffery’s Bay and supported by Green Guardian, is having powerful effect on the community. The project’s concept is simple: on every Tuesday, mothers having their babies checked at the centre get extra milk, baby food and nappies in exchange for recyclables they bring along with them.

The Tuesday recyclables rule is strictly upheld by the clinic sisters. The mothers each have a card that is kept by the CMR and when their recyclables are weighed, the total is recorded on the card (using a specific formula) and they score points. These points are then converted into an extra carton of milk or baby food.

The impact on to the community is invaluable. “Today there were 69 mothers with their babies,” says Johan Fourie, Director of Green Guardian, who uses the interaction with mothers to educate about recycling and the importance of recycling.

“The recyclables are then sorted into PET, glass and cardboard – the totals are compared and I then buy it from them. The monies are then used to buy extra things like baby blankets which are not provided by the CMR, “ adds Fourie. “The idea is to take this now to the other towns I cover such as

Humansdorp/Cape St Francis/St Francis Bay/Stormsriver/Patensie/Hankey and Loerie.”

Recycled PET is turned into many new products (including new PET beverage bottles), contributing to our GDP. It reduces our reliance on imported virgin PET. Now you can add the power of social change to what it can do.

Recently PETCO was honoured at The Mail and Guardian’s prestigious Green The Future Awards, an annual event that celebrates the achievements by companies and organisations at the forefront of ensuring a sustained and healthy planet for all people.

We received a special commendation for the work we’ve been doing to promote recycling of PET in South Africa.

The awards are designed to inspire innovation and action to address the causes of climate change, reduce impacts on our resources and improve eco-efficiency in people.

Which means the important people are noticing us: other businesses, journalists and the public. Like you.
                                   
The industry levy that PETCO’s members have be diligently and generously contributing can only go so far to help drive the collection of PET and its recycling.

Consumers are the key to ensuring that we grow well beyond the already impressive collection figures of 38000 tons of PET in 2010.

And so, the stage is now perfectly set to reveal our entire new print campaign in which we truly revere the PET beverage bottle. A super-sophisticated, 100% recyclable material that can continue adding so much value after you’ve used it, PET is just not worth

throwing into the trash. It’s deserving of the limelight.

Celebrate it with us and recycle it. It’s the proper thing to do.

Plastic bottles are not trash. That’s the message PETCO is aiming to ingrain in consumers with the launch of our new consumer campaign.

For many years consumers have disregarded the PET plastic bottles that our soft drinks, mineral water and other beverages come in, and too quickly thrown them away once done drinking. But PET is a very sophisticated material, one that can be recycled literally again and again safely, reliably and sustainably. So when it ends up in landfills, it really does become useless to everyone.

We’re hoping to give PET the attention it deserves with our new campaign.  Through a meticulous production process we’ve photographed PET bottles with the care reserved for expensive perfume bottles. Together with photographer Simon Barnes, we polished up, shot and retouched a number of PET bottles in various shapes and sizes, making them look as beautiful as possible.

The results are truly extraordinary and they’ve turned bottles that have hardly ever received a second glance into Objet d’ Arte. We think it’s a truly fitting representation of a resource that’s so valuable. Post consumer-use PET is turned into fibre for insulation, duvet and pillow fill, geo-textiles, car parts and many other Proudly South African products. It’s also turned into new beverage bottles, well and truly ‘closing the loop’ in production.

The resource has created over 18000 employment opportunities from the sector that collects discarded PET to the sector that manufactures new products from rPET. It’s seen South Africa achieve world firsts like our accredited bottle-to-bottle plant where used bottles go in one end and come out new bottles at the other. This, in turn, has reduced our reliance on foreign PET imports and instead added to our GDP.

So please, consider the PET bottle your beverage came in. It isn’t trash. Instead, it can offer a world of value you never even thought existed.

Used beverage PET bottles are not trash. Because they’re 100% recyclable and 100% safe when recycled, the last thing anyone should think of doing is chucking them in the bin.

Throwing them away means they end up in a landfill where they’re no use to anyone. Worse still, when they’re discarded they often end up in our waterways adding to a whole host of other litter.

Countrywide, our landfills are rapidly reaching full capacity, which means that pretty soon we’ll need to find new space to dump all our garbage. And who wants that to be in the lot next door?

In South Africa, we currently recycle 38% of our used PET bottles, almost 40 000 tons of it in 2010. Our contracted recyclers turn it into rPET fibre or pellets that can be used again and again.

Proudly South African products like insulation for homes, fibre for duvets, sleeping bags and pillows are all made from recycled PET. So are various car parts, carpeting, fleece fabric for clothing, and geo-textiles for road stabilisation and construction.

Most importantly, we now also turn recycled PET back into packaging for food. Which closes the loop ensuring little goes to waste.

Not only does this impact positively on the environment, it contributes significantly to the economy. The sustainable use of the resource means we don’t need to use more and more virgin material. It means we don’t need to rely as much on the costly re-importing of PET fibre. And it means we can create more jobs here at home both in collecting and converting into valuable new products.

Used PET bottles belong only in the recycling stream. So after you’ve enjoyed your next beverage, look at the bottle it came in. It’s not rubbish you’re holding in your hand. It’s an item of value.

2010 was a landmark year for PETCO as we exceeded our PET plastic recycling target by nearly 5000 tons.

37 842 tons of PET was collected and recycled out of a 142 000 ton 2010 resin market. That’s a recycling rate of 38% of post consumer beverage PET and 27% of total PET.

This achievement was largely made possible because of the increased voluntary financial support from PETCO’s members who have continued to pay the recycling levy and have made other contributions so we could fine-tune our programmes and expand our collection network.

Thanks to our partnership with contracted service providers, Extrupet, Hosaf, Kaymac and Sen li Da who combine collection, recycling and end-use in their PET value chain, we were able to see such an exceptional recycling rate.

When the going got tough we continued to help keep PET out of landfill and in the recycling stream where it’s able to contribute to GDP. It’s good news for recyclers, converters, bottlers and, best of all, it’s fantastic for the environment. Now that’s really something worth smiling about.

While literally thousands of people will be pedalling up Smitswinkel, over Chappies and steeling themselves for Suikerbossie in the Cape Argus Cycle Race this weekend, there’ll be an important chain of a different kind for all to see.

And while it’ll be in full view, very few will notice it. It’s because discarded PET beverage bottles lining the route are still regarded as trash. And they’re not.

PET is 100% recyclable, 100% safe when recycled, and 100% useless if it ends up in the rubbish bin. Kept out of the waste stream, PET becomes part of a very productive post consumer-use cycle.

The first link in the chain starts when discarded post consumer-use PET bottles are collected (principally by informal collectors), baled and delivered to the recycler.

Within the recycling plant, bottle tops are removed and the bottles are inspected and sorted according to colour and material.

The sorted bottles are washed and then conveyed to a granulator, where they are reduced to flakes before being screened. These flakes are then washed, dried and continue on to an extruder where the material is turned into pellets.

The finished product takes the form of small clear pellets that are supplied to end-users for production into a number of items we encounter every day.

It’s spun into fibre for polyester carpets; fabric for T-shirts, longunderwear, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery and sweaters. The fibre is also used to fill sleeping bags and wintercoats. It’s turned into industrial strapping, sheet and film; automotive parts, like luggage racks, headliners, fuseboxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels; and it’s used in containers for both food and non-food products.

Most importantly though, the recycling chain well and truly comes full circle in closing the loop when recycled PET is yet again made into beverage bottles. Which will probably contain the bottled water, energy drinks and soft drinks at next year’s Cape Argus Cycle Race.

1. PET Plastic bottles are valuable; we don’t export them but reprocess them in South Africa into fibre for pillow cases, duvets, T-shirts, roof insulation, geotextiles and most importantly back into PET plastic bottles thereby closing the loop.
2. Increasing PET plastic bottle recycling leads to job creation in the waste management, product development, manufacturing and marketing sectors.
3. The waste hierarchy has changed and we need to landfill less. “Waste is not waste until it is wasted”.
4. Recycling reduces landfill requirements, thus increasing the life of landfill sites and cutting disposal costs. Landfill costs are set to rapidly increase over coming years.
5. Recycling demand for PET plastic bottles outstripped supply for many years. Our recyclers need your PET plastic bottles.
6. PET Plastic bottle recycling provides a valuable public service. The public want to recycle plastics and there is high demand for this service.
7. Plastics are the material of choice for many manufacturers and will form an increasing proportion of household waste in the future. Research conducted by the UK based recycling organization Recoup, has shown that if plastics were no longer used in packaging the weight of packaging materials would rise by 300%, the volume of rubbish would expand by 150% and the energy consumed by the packaging industry would increase by 100%.
8. Beverage PET in South Africa represents 2.5% of the total volume of paper and packaging waste; 3.5% of packaging waste (without paper) and 14% of all plastic packaging.
9. PET Plastic bottles are widely used, abundant and very visual. There is the potential to remove a significant amount of volume from the waste stream.
10. Recycling 1 ton of PET plastic bottles saves 1.5 ton of carbon it also decreases the need for raw materials and saves energy.
11. Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W light bulb for up to 6 hours.

There’s an urban legend that tells of a colossal floating island in the high seas. The trouble is it’s no longer the stuff of legends; it’s real.

Funded in part by PETCO, artist Simon Bannister has boarded the transatlantic Sea Dragon, to go and find it.

The journey will take him from Cape Town, past the Skeleton Coast, through St. Helena Island and onwards to intercept the South Atlantic Gyre. 

It’s here that Simon and the rest of the crew will find monsters. Plastikological life forms pulled together in a massive accumulation zone. 

It sounds like another mysterious episode of TV’s ‘LOST’, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, unlike LOST, it’s not ok if you don’t know what’s going on. 

As far as we know, this is the final resting place of countless micro pieces of plastic debris. Plastic, like PET bottles, that most of us just chuck in the trash. 

PET is 100% recyclable and still 100% safe after it’s recycled. So by discarding it, we’ve rendered it useless and sent it to a place where it’s now potentially hazardous. 

Simon will observe and assist the 5 Gyres Institute aboard Sea Dragon in conducting important research, continuing the tradition of marine conservation. 

They’ll begin to answer questions like “What Impact does plastic have on marine life and ultimately humans?” “What do we do about it?” 

And show us the truth. 

Follow Simon’s journey here, see his exhibition at the Two Oceans Aquarium and, if you aren’t doing so already, please recycle your PET plastic.

Call us on 0860 1-IS-PET (0860 147 738) for more on starting your own PET collection company or to find PET recycling depots, or check out the rest of our site.

Woolworths has become the first major South African retailer to begin using post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET) in foods packaging.   The ready-to-eat sandwiches are packed in containers made with 30% rPET (recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) made from recycled plastic bottles.

Recycling 1 ton of PET bottles saves 6.2 cubic metres of landfill space. It also saves enough energy to keep a 15-watt energy-saver light glowing for 24 hours. Woolworths first began using rPET fibre several years ago for the filling in duvets and pillows.  The retailer is  working towards moving beyond the 30% mark and plan to roll out rPET packaging to juice bottles and other plastic packaging shortly.

The recycled PET comes primarily from locally collected soft drink and water bottles. Extrupet, who have invested some R20 million in a food grade recycling plant, manufactures the rPET. This is the first recycler in the world to be certified by the British Retail Consortium.

Recycling PET has economic advantages as well.  Using rPET reduces CO2 emissions and cuts dependence on imported oil stocks used to make ‘virgin’ plastic. It also helps create jobs: it’s estimated that some 10 000 people earn income from collecting bottles.

PETCO celebrates this important milestone.  We hope that retailers will emulate M&S example where 84% of all the products in PET contain rPET.

PETCO also celebrates the fact that the organisation has recently helped to establish the “Retailers for Recycling Forum” which aims to minimize the environmental impact of post consumer packaging on the South African landscape by using the buying power and awareness opportunities available to retailers.  Woolworths and Pick ‘n pay are Founding members.

Says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO, “It is heartening to see retailers partnering with recycling organisations such as PETCO because retailers have a prominent role to play in creating awareness amongst consumers about recycling issues and can also work with suppliers to ensure that packaging is designed with reduction, re-use and recycling in mind.

The Forum’s objectives are the following:

• Promote in-store consumer education and awareness and encourage consumers to recycle
• Liaise with suppliers to ensure product packaging is designed with recycling in mind
• Achieve sustainable growth in post consumer recycling
• Support existing and encouraging new collection and recycling networks
• Drive the use of rPET (recycled PET) and other recycled material to help stimulate demand  
• Assist in the collection and sorting of post consumer packaging by motivating suppliers to ensure that packaging materials (especially plastics, and specifically PET) are clearly identified.

The success of the Forum is dependent on the buy-in of all the major retailers in South Africa, including Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Massmart, Clicks, Shoprite/Checkers, Seven 11, Spar and others, and the Forum is working to ensure their participation.

Thus far, the Forum has been able to achieve the following:

• Conducted best practice research on global retailers involved in recycling
• Used our influence to encourage packaging suppliers to pay appropriate recycling levies
• Reviewed the New Waste Management Act that came into effect in South Africa on 01 July 2009 and especially how it affects retailers and their suppliers
• Arranged talk on wine packaged in PET bottles (Backsberg Tread Lightly) and the carbon savings associated with this initiative
• Discussed appropriate in-store awareness campaigns aimed at consumers
• Reviewed what role government and other stakeholders can play in the Forum

PETCO would like to hear your thoughts on what more retailers can do to promote recycling.

I have seen a whole lot of products made from recycled plastic bottles recently, but this one is oh so stylish and gives me hope that some clever South African designer/entrepreneur will start making similar products in the not too distant future.   Imagine a whole stand at the Design Indaba next year of locally made well designed furniture; all made using a percentage of recycled plastic bottle content, ala rPET?

And even more refreshing is that the Coca-Cola Company and Emeco, a leading furniture manufacturer, have combined their iconic products, the Coca-Cola contour bottle package and the famous Navy® Chair, to create a new chair made from at least 111 recycled plastic bottles. The aptly named “111 Navy Chair™” debuts this week at the 2010 Salone Internazionale del Mobile, one of the top furniture trade shows in the world held in Milan from April 14-19.  Modeled after the original aluminium Emeco Navy Chair (#1006) designed in 1944 for the U.S. Navy, each 111 Navy Chair contains a mix of 60 percent rPET plastic (recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic) and a special combination of other materials including pigment and glass fibre for strength. It is estimated that more than three million PET plastic bottles will be repurposed annually for the production of 111 Navy Chairs.
“The 111 Navy Chair is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, constant innovation and originality in design,” said Kate Dwyer, Group Director, Worldwide Licensing, The Coca-Cola Company. “This latest addition to our line of rPET licensed merchandise underscores the fact that Coca-Cola bottles are valuable recyclables. It is another step in our vision to recover and reuse all of our bottles and cans.”

The rPET content in each chair is sourced from the world’s largest plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant that began operation in 2009 in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the United States through a partnership between The Coca-Cola Company and United Resource Recovery Corp.

The chairs will be available for sale in June 2010 in select retail locations worldwide and can also be ordered by sending an email to coca-cola@emeco.net. 111 Navy Chairs are available in six colors: Coca-Cola Red, Snow, Flint, Grass, Persimmon and Charcoal.

“When Coca-Cola approached me with this project I jumped on it,” said Gregg Buchbinder, Chairman of Emeco. “Although reengineering a core product is a significant investment for us, I was excited about the impact of reusing the PET from about three million plastic bottles a year. That’s a lot of bottles and a lot of chairs. The new chair is the strongest, and most beautiful we can make. We’ve turned something many people throw away into something you want and can keep for a long, long time.”
Coca-Cola first launched rPET merchandise in 2007 as a way to inspire people to recycle by showing them how PET bottles can be transformed into products for everyday use.   rPET merchandise includes fashionable t-shirts, bags, caps, notebooks and now a chair made of recycled plastic bottles. Each item indicates the number of plastic bottles used to create it. The rPET merchandise line is just one of many sustainability initiatives by The Coca-Cola Company and is a testament of the Company’s long history in innovation.

Coca Cola, how about opening a local South African store selling rPET merchandise?

How is this for a brilliant marketing campaign by Nike and they are not even an official FIFA sponsor?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho will take to the field in this summer’s World Cup in South Africa wearing shirts made of recycled plastic bottles.

The change comes after Nike said yesterday that it would make its biggest commitment to sustainability by producing the shirts worn by nine teams in football’s biggest competition from 100 per cent recycled polyester, with each shirt using up to eight plastic bottles. Making the shirts this way is expected to cut the amount of energy used in production by 30 per cent and save 13 million plastic bottles going to landfill sites this year alone.

Nike would not comment on how many shirts it expected to sell, but using 13 million bottles would equate to more than 1.5 million shirts to be worn by the players and supporters of countries including Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Nike aims to make England’s kit, produced by its Umbro subsidiary, from recycled materials as soon as possible.

The recycled polyester will come from a supplier in Taiwan, using plastic from discarded bottles from Japan and Taiwan. They will be cut up, melted down and spun into a yarn that is ultimately converted into the fabric for the shirts.

Charlie Denson, president of Nike Brand, said that the recycled shirts — which will be a permenant fixture in its range — represented a good deal for consumers, the environment and the company’s shareholders.

The fabric used is more expensive than normal, but Mr Denson said the American sportswear manufacturer was able to reduce the expense by using less material and cutting costs elsewhere. He added that consumers would not be penalised for buying sustainable products, because the shirts would cost the same price as normal.

The company is keen to make more of its products using sustainable materials to secure its supplies given the increasing scarcity of the world’s natural resources.

Hope the FIFA Sponsors take note of this one and contribute to the sustainability of the event too. Green Goal 2010 is the FIFA endorsed greening programme for 2010, but sadly not much has been forthcoming from the international soccer body or its sponsors to reduce the carbon footprint of the event.

It¹s almost our 5th anniversary at PETCO and we couldn¹t be more proud. Over the past 5 years we¹ve gone from 9 840 to 29 000 tons of post-consumer PET bottles recycled or 295 to 689 million bottles recycled, from 16% to 32% of beverage PET recycled, from 87 000 to 130 000 tons of PET resin produced, from small to large amounts of recycling levies collected and income opportunities created, from success to success.

It began in December 2004 when we made the leap from the PET Recycling Committee to the PET Recycling Company, trading as PETCO, and the plastics industry¹s first joint effort to self-regulate post consumer PET recycling. Providing millions of rands worth of financial support to PET recycling companies, creating income opportunities for an estimated 14 000 people, helping to establish 65 plastic recovery stations throughout South Africa, working to introduce Bottle-2-Bottle Recycling, is how we got from there to here. The result? We have empowered the PET plastics industry to go from one end of the spectrum to the other from dreaming to achieving, from learning to earning, we¹ve grown, developed and expanded from community to community, town to town, and even made our presence felt from country to country and from continent to continent. And as we move forward, we continue to grow, always going from strength to strength.

Through our unique model, built on the simple principle of establishing an industry driven and financed environmental solution for PET, PETCO is established as a benchmark of extended producer responsibility in South Africa. We are even referred to at international conferences by leading brands and industry bodies. And it¹s because of you, our partners, our board of directors, staff, shareholder and associate members that PETCO is enjoying such success in a relatively short time.

2010 will certainly prove to be a watershed in our development, as we assist with the establishment of more collection and drop off centres and steadily build awareness of PET Recycling through consistent and focused messaging.

WELCOME TO THE PETCO UNIVERSE ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, RESPONSIBILITY AND HOPE.