Austrian company introduces small-scale recycling machinery to SA
AUSTRIAN company, Plasticpreneur, visited South Africa recently to promote machinery the company has developed that facilitates empowerment of individuals and communities involved in small-scale recycling by re-creating value from waste products.
SA Polymer Technology met with Plasticpreneur’s Søren Lex to find out more.
What started for Soren as a social entrepreneurship project in Uganda a few years ago, has become a range of ‘plug and play’ solutions for creating new value from plastic waste. The Ugandan project converts plastic waste into school supplies such as rulers, abacuses and school bags.
Since then, and with a staff of just seven, Soren and his team have managed to help set up self-sustaining projects in Africa (Uganda), Europe, South America, Tahiti, and the Galapagos Islands.
“Plasticpreneur provides simple machines, moulds, tools and additional services that enable the creation of new products, services, spaces and business models. Together with motivated people and placed in the right area this can be the foundation for self-sustaining, independent projects and businesses,” says Søren.
An important part of what Soren and his team help with is the design of the moulds that the community used to manufacture the products needed from the converted plastic waste. Importantly, the moulds fulfil all quality standards, are certified on the European market and are significantly cheaper to make with Plasticpreneur’s machines.
“This service fills the gap between 3D printing and mass production, making it accessible to small communities,” Soren says.
Almost all plastic waste can be converted by Plasticpreneur’s machines, except PVC. The machines are available for injection moulding and extrusion (for beams and benches). Plasticpreneur is planning to design and build a small baling machine and is also currently testing a sheet press for manufacturing items like tabletops.
- Email Plasticpreneur at hello@plasticpreneur.com
