Posts By: SAPT Editor

The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO), as the representative voice of the plastic recycling industry, addresses the concerns raised by PlasticsSA relating to the On-Pack Recycling Labels (OPRLs) and their criticism of the 30% threshold for recyclability. While we respect PlasticsSA’s role in advocating for the interests of virgin plastic producers, we must challenge… Read more »

PRETORIA-based PESC Lab has entered into a cooperative agreement with Ceislab in Spain to expand its testing service and add new test abilities to its repertoire. Testing is a complicated area, and this cooperation gives PESC access to Ceislab’s substantial abilities, know-how, case studies, and experience. With the investment from the Spanish lab leader, PESC… Read more »

LIQUIBOX, a global leader in bag-in-box packaging solutions, has vastly improved the performance of its extrusion capacity at its Cape Town plant following an upgrade by local equipment supplier Syncplas. The project was brought about as the extrusion line was becoming unreliable due to both software and hardware issues. Liquibox needed to upgrade the machine… Read more »

EFFICIENCY, sustainability and design are redefining today’s packaging industry. Indorama Ventures Specialty Polymers, a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited – a global leader in sustainable chemicals – is at the forefront of this transformation. By developing advanced polyester granulates and specialty polymers, the company delivers environmentally friendly and high-performance alternatives to conventional packaging… Read more »

Brand owners and EU legislation behind push for post-consumer recycled content in products WHILE virgin polyethylene is the most used material in roto moulding, demand is growing for recycled content as brands look to increase the recycled content in their products and European legislation starts to push for mandatory PCR content, starting with packaging; but… Read more »

APPROXIMATELY a year and a half after construction began, packaging and recycling specialist Alpla is opening a state-of-the-art plant located on 90,000m2 in the coastal town of Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal. The company has invested €60 million (about R1,15 billion) in the new plant. From 2025, Alpla will produce up to 35,000 tons of mechanically recycled rPET… Read more »

IN A LANDMARK achievement for the South African and African construction industry, Inkulu Plastic Pipes is manufacturing 744m of 1,200 mm PE 100 pipe at its plant in Hammarsdale, KZN. Produced in 15m lengths for an underground project employing an open-cut method, the project marks the first for large-diameter polyethylene pipe being manufactured on the… Read more »

INTRAVIS of Germany, a specialist in automative visual inspection systems, has entered into a pioneering collaboration with Husky Technologies that integrates its preform monitoring system, PreMon, with Husky’s HyPET6e platform. This collaboration, demonstrated at the NPE trade show in May 2024, introduces a groundbreaking closed-loop application for rPET preform production, setting new benchmarks in efficiency… Read more »

IN AN aspiring collaboration that merges education with industry innovation, equipment supplier Hestico has partnered with students from the University of Pretoria to develop a cutting-edge scheduling system for its technicians. Initiated as part of a group assignment for third-year students in the BIT Information Systems and BCom Information programmes, the project culminates in a… Read more »

AWARDS night for the 2024 Gold Pack Awards programme was a festive affair at the impressive Vodaworld auditorium in Midrand on 14 November. The larger attendance than usual, with close to 300 in their penguin suits and the ladies beautifully attired, showed that Covid is well and truly behind us … but that didn’t take… Read more »

ECO TANKS, the roto moulding group, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The business has grown from a single factory producing nine tanks a day to a group with four plants manufacturing up to 15,000 tanks a month. The celebrations at its East London head office were marked with humility because the directors and staff believe… Read more »

Team of Extrupet, Bowler and Shoprite-Checkers win OVER the last few years South Africa’s plastics recycling sector has made great strides, a testament to which was the number of attendees at the SAPRO Best Recycled Plastic Products Awards gala dinner held in Cape Town in September. More than 190 guests attended, nearly double the number… Read more »

SINCE it was founded in 2000, Extrupet has grown to become one of the largest and most advanced recyclers of PET bottle materials on the African continent. The company is based in Wadeville, Johannesburg, and specialises in most aspects of the PET recycling loop: from turning waste PET bottles into PET flakes and converting them… Read more »

CONTINENTAL Engineering Compounds (CEC) has gained accreditation from several automotive Tier 1 manufacturers for the polypropylene and polyamide compounds it supplies to the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). The accreditations follow a nearly five-year strategic investment plan by the Durban-based manufacturer to supply to the South African automotive sector. Most if not all the PA and… Read more »

HARVEY ROOFING is set to revolutionise its roof tile production process, leveraging a unique prototype product and cutting-edge robotics solutions to enhance efficiency, quality and sustainability in partnership with leading industrial robotics manufacturer Yaskawa. As the demand for high-quality roofing materials continues to grow, Harvey Roofing recognised the need for an innovative approach to upgrade… Read more »

MOULD production times have been slashed at Habitat Industries following its recent commissioning of a new vertical machining centre from Micro Dynamics. The new system cuts metal far faster, more quietly and accurately than anything the company has used before, said Habitat MD Donovan Barnes. Habitat Industries is one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of… Read more »

CYCLIQ has unveiled its latest groundbreaking E-Pallet, a modular, eco-friendly solution designed to redefine pallet use across various logistics applications. This locally manufactured innovation offers a significant evolution from traditional wooden and plastic pallets, with a focus on environmental sustainability, economic efficiency, and enhanced performance. The E-Pallet is the result of a four-year collaboration between… Read more »

NAMPAK Liquid Plastics, virtually the last man standing in the once mighty Nampak Plastics business, has been purchased as a going concern by investment business Vernotone and renamed Bestpak. Vernotone is controlled by SLA Capital, also the owner of Oasis Water Holdings. Liquid Plastics produces HDPE and PET bottles and jars and, since the 1990s… Read more »

SOUTHERN Ropes, one of Africa’s top rope manufacturers, had a real need to improve batch consistency, with the concomitant need to reduce material spillage and labour input. “Batch changeovers were also taking too long, as this was a manual process,” explains managing director, Marcus Twine. The Cape Town company purchased a Motan Gravimetric Central feeder… Read more »

CUSTOMER experience has gone up a notch at SAPY with the KZN masterbatch and yarn manufacturer now offering heli tours for customers. Since it began operations in 1995, the Hammarsdale-based company has followed a process of continuous improvement, with its latest milestone being the completion of Phase 1 of its 810 kW solar power installation… Read more »

The environment minister emphasises the urgent action that is needed to address plastic pollution and highlights what her department is doing to contribute to this necessary change. By Julia Evans Globally, an estimated 353-million tons of plastic waste are produced each year, only about 10% of which is recycled. Locally, according to the World Wide… Read more »

Consumer demand for sustainable food packaging has become a major catalyst for change in the industry. With a growing awareness of environmental impacts, consumers are now choosing products with reduced packaging waste and materials that are recyclable and as a result, companies are being compelled to innovate and develop eco-friendly packaging solutions. According to a… Read more »

WITH 13 years experience in the injection moulding industry, Glacial Plastics & Distribution strives to provide excellent service and quality products. The Meyerton-based company has expanded its services by introducing an engineering division to its workshop and adding a Hision CNC 850 milling machine to bridge the gap between its tool and die sets and… Read more »

CHEMCRAFT of Johannesburg recently installed an additional machine to further up production capacity for the range of chairs and tables it manufactures. The Benoni based business has been using mainly European machines and in this case opted for a Wintec 950-ton machine from Engel, supplied by GreenTech. The machine which arrived about a year ago,… Read more »

AERONTEC, a leading South African supplier and distributor of advanced composite materials and related technology, has been purchased by Biesterfeld group of Germany. Biesterfeld Group has through the transaction become the 100 percent shareholder of Aerontec. Biesterfeld said it was planning to continue its geographical expansion, laying the foundation for the long-term expansion of its… Read more »

CIBAPAC has gone up a gear with the commissioning of a PET sheet extrusion line and thermoforming equipment at its plant in Johannesburg, marking its entry into the thermoformed tray market. This is a significant venture by the Cibapac team that shows its confidence in its production and sales abilities. The project involves the installation… Read more »

HARVEY Roofing Products recently unveiled its groundbreaking Harvey EcoTile roof tile, a new tile manufactured from recycled plastics and mineral scrap from mining in a premiere event for a product that is believed to be a world first, or certainly an ‘Africa first’. The official launch, which was actually a relaunch, took place in April… Read more »

ONE OF the moulding businesses in the rubber sector which has managed to gain traction in these challenging times is Van Ryn Rubber, a KZN-based manufacturer of precision injection and compression moulded rubber components. Van Ryn Rubber (VRR) manufactures components for a diverse range of applications and industries and exports, at last count, to 38… Read more »

PAC-RITE of Durban celebrated its 30th birthday recently in the most positive way, by commissioning a large printing press that will see it more than double its print capacity. That’s how Brian McCleary and the team at the Westmead company like it: the company has consistently invested in new production equipment since starting as a… Read more »

PROGRESSIVE Components of Durban has continued its development of a housing for the CounterView® cycle counter for injection moulding, recently introducing a version for external mounting, which makes retrofitting of the part to moulds easier. One of the world’s most popular mould cycle counters, if not the most popular, the CounterView® housings are manufactured by… Read more »

FEW will be surprised that another new injection moulding machine from China has arrived in Africa, and possibly even fewer will doubt that the Sonly machines will perform well. Such has been the success achieved by new arrivals that sales of Chinese machines have increased steadily. After first arriving in early 2022, Sonly set up… Read more »

THE manufacturing landscape is rapidly evolving. Hybrid manufacturing, which combines traditional techniques with cutting-edge 3D printing, isn’t just a trend; it’s essential for staying ahead. At the recent Machine Tools Africa show in Johannesburg, Rapid 3D showcased an application that addressed critical challenges faced by today’s manufacturers where hybrid manufacturing was used to impressive effect…. Read more »

THE ALPLA Group and Re-Purpose have announced a strategic partnership aimed at advancing sustainable packaging solutions and strengthening the feedstock value chain of ALPLA’s inaugural PET recycling facility in Africa. ALPLA is investing €60 million in constructing a cutting-edge recycling plant in Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal. Construction of the plant on the 90,000m² is well underway…. Read more »

MATERIALS and additives supplier Chemcoza of Johannesburg is now representing Lucobit of Germany, a manufacturer of a wide range of speciality polyolefins, available internationally. The Chemcoza team recently hosted a visit by Lucobit chief sales officer Rinos Muchenagumbo, during which they had visits with customers around the country. Lucobit was established in 2000, following an… Read more »

THE African Polystyrene Industry Alliance (APIA), a pioneering non-profit industry body, held its official launch event on 29 February at the Plastics SA office in Midrand. The event marked a significant milestone in the polystyrene industry’s journey towards sustainability, circular economy practices, and responsible production. As an industry association that now represents the role-players across… Read more »

IN celebration of Global Recycling Day, Polyco in collaboration with Pick ‘n Pay, has launched a series of reverse vending machines for customers to deposit their recyclable materials while doing their shopping. The reverse vending machines will be located at select Pick ‘n Pay outlets across the country. Customers can trade their recyclable waste for… Read more »

LEGACY Africa Capital Partners has consolidated its interest in Penflex, which it recently purchased a controlling interest in, and made investments in solar and off-grid power supply and additional capital equipment. Cape-based Penflex is one of only two dedicated pen manufacturers in South Africa and the only local producer, with the other being BIC SA,… Read more »

METRIC Engineering, a Cape Town machine manufacturer, has introduced its own range of granulators for plastic recycling. The ‘Met-Red’ (Metric Reduction Equipment) machines are designed for rugged performance, on a par with the heavy engineering machinery Metric has been building since the company was formed 60 years ago in 1964. The G600/100B Met-Red system, designated… Read more »

FEW would have been confident of success in 2000 when Franz Marent started Lawn Star, a business making gardening machinery, with the main reason for doubt being that the sector was already heavily traded. Lawn Star defied the odds, however, and achieved steady growth, expanded into the power tool and DIY sectors and built up… Read more »

APEX Polymer Solutions celebrated its new identity when it hosted key customers at a launch event in Gqeberha on 5 December, taking the opportunity to introduce its impressive new J-Well corrugated polypropylene extrusion line at the same time. Apex Polymer Solutions was formerly known as Perspex South Africa and has been one of the leading… Read more »

SOUTHERN Ropes, one of South Africa’s top manufacturers of ropes, recently installed a new extrusion line, opting for a system from Metric Engineering, as it has before. With its ropes used in a huge range of applications, Southern Ropes’ products have to meet extremely high, zero-tolerance-for-failure standards. It supplies rope to the marine (commercial &… Read more »

ROEDIGER Agencies has recently commenced the testing of geomembrane liners used in dam construction and landfill site liners. These tests have up to now been conducted in Texas or Canada but not in South Africa. “We are now offering the full range of tests procedures according to GRI-GM 13 and 17. This involved the acquisition… Read more »

CHEMIPOL Solutions, the Johannesburg-based multi-material chemicals supplier, has transitioned over the past few years to put a larger focus on the plastics sector and has made a number of key appointments to back this up. The changed strategy is based on the position that Chemipol represents a number of top-flight international material manufacturers which supply… Read more »

THE Gold Pack Awards programme is designed to showcase the very best of the packaging industry. With the introduction of the AfriStar Awards as a part of this programme, the awards are now an international celebration and showcase for packaging across the African continent. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals were awarded to the top three… Read more »

IN A significant step toward enhancing the productivity and quality standards in South Africa’s plastics industry, Plastics SA will play a pivotal role in managing the Quality and Productivity Improvement (Kaizen™) project. This milestone project is a result of a collaboration between the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Trade, Industry, and… Read more »

MASTERBATCH SA, South Africa’s leading manufacturer and supplier of the complete range of masterbatches, is celebrating its 25th birthday. “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating Masterbatch SA’s 25th anniversary and extend our heartfelt thanks to the MBSA team, customers and suppliers for their unwavering dedication, belief and support,” said MBSA managing director Anthony van… Read more »

HAMMARSDALE-based radial truck tyre recycler, Mathe Group, has received a new Waste Management License for a new R65 million plus tyre recycling facility which will be positioned alongside its already highly successful existing operation. CEO of Mathe Group and sister company, Van Dyck, Dr Mehran Zarrebini, says that negotiations with a potential funder are well under… Read more »

WITH one-in-five vehicles on South African roads fitted with locally produced Dunlop tyres, the tyre manufacturer is forging ahead with a multi-billion rand investment project backed by its Japan-based parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). This is set to boost local tyre production capacity as more OEMs look to domestic tyre producers to meet their… Read more »

CAPITALWORKS Investment Partners, a leading private equity partner of South African entrepreneurs and management teams, has acquired a significant minority stake in Continental Compounders and Continental Engineering Compounds. This investment is there to support a growth orientated phase in Continental’s trajectory. Continental is the largest polymer compounder in Sub-Saharan Africa. From its two manufacturing facilities… Read more »

BANBURY Colour & Dosing Solutions has adjusted its business model in response to market conditions which has seen it open an office in Botswana and move its Johannesburg office to smaller premises with key staff operating independently in a move that is enabling it to service customers more rapidly. The company’s main focus currently is… Read more »

AQUAMARK Holdings of Cape Town has over the past two decades transitioned from being a design studio to full-on production. MD Gary Crawford started out as a designer working on the development of a variety of products with production being contracted out but, almost by coincidence, he’s gravitated towards design of products for shower enclosures…. Read more »

SAPRO also launches Platinum Design Award THE 2023 edition of SAPRO’s Recycled Product Awards programme reached its conclusion at a glittering gala event at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town on 21 September, which was apt – recyclers seldom find themselves in plush surrounds. Hats off to the five Gold, five Silver, four Bronze,… Read more »

A&E NEL Plastics has recently installed a number of Taili small injection moulding machines and expressed satisfaction with the machines’ ability to “punch above their weight”. “The Taili machines won’t stand back for any machine in the small size category, not even the top machines from Germany,” said Anton Nel of A&E, based in Stikland… Read more »

Peace of mind gained, transmits to employees too COMPLAINING, as most of you by now know, doesn’t help, and complaining about Eskom really doesn’t help. In the current electricity supply situation, the urge to complain belies a deadly scenario where businesses can falter and fail. Failure to act and source alternative power supply is resulting… Read more »

Little-known nepheline syenite and aluminum trihydrate offer unique features ORCHEM group has extended its supply operation with a number of specialty materials added to its range since joining the Reda Chemicals group in 2018, the little-known nepheline syenite and aluminum trihydrate being standout examples of this. These materials, which few outside of the loop will… Read more »

New distribution partnership will offer SA customers quick, easy and reliable access to Scott Bader products SCOTT Bader South Africa has entered into a new partnership with Allied Fibreglass for the distribution of its composite and adhesive products for the Western Cape in South Africa. Established in 1974, Allied Fibreglass is a reputable and trusted… Read more »

Supports problem-solving abilities for customers, enables greater cost savings and improved efficiency NAMPAK, Africa’s largest packaging company, has invested in a state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope (SEM). The newly acquired microscope is housed at the company’s Research & Development division in Cape Town. “We made the investment at the end of last year and are already… Read more »

Plastics sector in Latin America constitutes roughly 4% of worldwide production. LATIN America is a region with significant potential for the plastic manufacturing industry, with Brazil being the largest producer of plastics in the region. The region’s growth is attributed to increasing demand for plastic products in various sectors such as packaging, construction, and automotive…. Read more »

Plastics objects that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing Egyptian-Canadian industrial designer Karim Rashid presented an eye-opening lecture on innovation and design in the plastics industry at the 3rd World Plastic Connection Summit in Brazil. “I love being back in São Paulo, this amazing city and watching how much they invest in technologies for converted… Read more »

A great showcase for the Brazilian converted plastics industry ONE of the highlights during the 3rd World Plastic Connection Summit in Brazil was the launch of the international ‘Color Trend 2024’, created to serve plastics industry professionals in Brazil and worldwide. Under the creative direction of the renowned artist and product designer, Jum Nakao, and… Read more »

Innovation, design, and sustainability are the  keystones. THE World Plastic Connection Summit held in São Paulo, Brazil, from 21-24 August was without a doubt a truly international event, presenting the Brazilian converted plastic industry to the world – and SA Polymer Technology’s editor, Tessa O’Hara, was there. This third edition of the event, organised by… Read more »

New plant to recycle around 60000 tons of PET bottle material a year PACKAGING and recycling specialist Alpla is building a state-of-the-art recycling plant in the South African coastal town of Ballito, north of Durban. The plant, with an output of 35,000 tonnes of recycled PET material, marks the company’s entry into the African recycling… Read more »

Project partners in Sweden, Norway, South Africa and Kenya AGAINST the backdrop of green and sustainable solutions in the blue economy, Catchgreen, a cross-sector collaborative research project that aims to address ghost fishing by innovating a biodegradable alternative for fishing gear. Catchgreen covers the entire fishing gear production chain, from the development of a brand-new… Read more »

Business’ contribution to key segments remains robust IMCD South Africa, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Netherlands headquartered group IMCD BV, has grown at least 10-fold since in 2006, when it first entered the South African market. Now with more than 150 employees, a head office and three laboratories in Johannesburg, branches in Durban and… Read more »

Boland recycler transitions to equipment supply WINELANDS Plastics & Imports of Worcester in the Western Cape has completed its biggest job to date, that of the supply of a complete recycling line to CRDC South Africa (Centre for Regenerative Design & Collaboration) which is processing substantial volumes of co-mingled plastic waste (resins 1-7) into an… Read more »

Reinvesting and expanding production at KZN plant SAPY, the colour, white, black and additive masterbatch manufacturer operating out of Hammarsdale in KZN, has emerged from the pandemic in a healthy position and is now reinvesting in order to reposition itself for further growth in both the masterbatch and multifilament PP yarn markets. It has commissioned… Read more »

Regional unit for direct sales, service and technical support THE Reifenhäuser Group, manufacturer of extrusion machinery and components, is repositioning itself in the Southern African region and has founded a new subsidiary in Durban. The new company, Reifenhäuser Southern Africa, started operating on 1 July, and will for the first time directly serve South Africa,… Read more »

R369 million invested into skills development initiatives WITH new technologies and production processes emerging globally in tyre production, the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), and its member companies, are investing heavily in skills development to ensure a pipeline of expertise is in place for future growth. Bridgestone South Africa, Continental Tyre South Africa, Goodyear… Read more »

SAFRIPOL has purchased a majority shareholding in Xuba Compounders, operating out of Krugersdorp. The purchase, from a group of private investors for an undisclosed sum, took place during 2022. The purchase forms part of Safripol’s polypropylene beneficiation plan where its aim is to add value and expand the use of Safripol’s base polymers to incorporate… Read more »

MYPLAS, Cape Town-based multi-material recycler, has started an operation in Minnesota, USA, where it is recycling shrink wrap films used to protect boats during winter. Myplas USA has been setting up its $24-million recycling plant in Rogers, Minnesota, over the past year. As many as 270 jobs could be created once the project is fully… Read more »

THE Leibniz-Institute for Polymer Research (IPF) in Dresden, Germany, and the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University (SU) have established a joint IPF-SU research group in polymer separation. The 20-member group, which now spans across Africa and Europe, is led by Prof Albena Lederer, head of the Centre for Macromolecular Structure Analysis… Read more »

PIMMS Group has invested heavily in its toolroom and service centre to ensure that it builds the highest quality injection moulding tools for its customers. Here we take a closer look at Pimms Group’s toolroom and service centre, how it acquired another well-known toolroom, and the innovative steps it is taking to drive excellence in… Read more »

AS ONE of South Africa’s only remaining tyre recycling operations, Mathe Group is not only dedicated to reducing the burgeoning number of waste tyres piling up, but also to developing innovative products that can contribute to the growth of the green economy and the creation of jobs. Mehran Zarrebini, CEO of Mathe Group and Van… Read more »

AE WIRING of Port Elizabeth, an international supplier and exporter of connectors to the automotive windscreen industry, has expanded its injection moulding capacity. With a product range exceeding 2,500 parts, most of which are small, AE Wiring operates a dynamic production schedule to supply the many parts required for the huge variety of windscreens on… Read more »

SAFRIPOL has launched its first rPET product Aspire®, containing post-consumer resin. The Aspire fast reheat resin offers excellent performance and is a high-quality thermoplastic material used for injection and stretch blow-moulding of bottles used for mineral water; carbonated soft drinks; fruit juice; dairy products; edible oils; and cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Other applications include sheet… Read more »

CRDC SA has tested various plastic waste streams at its pilot plant in Blackheath, Cape Town.  This enabled CRDC SA to supply over 100 tons of RESIN8 to various concrete product manufacturers, external laboratories and universities for testing in concrete products. According to CRDC SA’s CEO, Abraham Avenant, a civil engineer with more than 25… Read more »

AERONTEC Composite Technology has made a substantial investment in foam cutting and finishing technology in order to support composite manufacturers, specifically the burgeoning boat-building sector. Aerontec, a leader in composite technology in Africa, recently unveiled its new foam cutting and processing equipment at an industry open day at its plant in Montague Gardens, Cape Town…. Read more »

ROEDIGER Agencies, the Stellenbosch laboratory specializing in comprehensive testing of polymer materials and products, has just completed its 30th year in operation, an achievement which has involved high commitment, intensive analysis and meticulous accuracy. At the outset in 1993, Dr Andy Roediger set up his company, Roediger Agencies. He had been lecturing in Polymer Chemistry… Read more »

ACD ROTOFLO is to build on expertise and momentum built up with its manufacture of roto moulding materials for the introduction of a new venture, Speciality Compounds, which is to manufacture and supply both masterbatches and pigments for the wider plastic industry. ACD Rotoflo group CEO Clive Robertson said the startup company would supply the… Read more »

DISPAK Industries group, through its subsidiary Waxpak of Johannesburg, has expanded into the Western Cape through its purchase of Peckpak GDK, a thermoforming business. The purchase is aligned with Dispak’s growth plans, both in the Western Cape and nationally. Peckpak GDK, which manufactures blister and clam packs as well as food packaging and point of… Read more »

In 2023, setting goals to net-zero emissions and carbon neutrality has become a part of leading brands’ strategies to fulfill their environmental commitments. To showcase and highlight how the industry is transitioning towards a circular economy, CHINAPLAS 2023, Asia’s No. 1 plastics and rubber trade fair, to be held from April 17 to 20, will… Read more »

ANCHOR CHEMICALS has made a substantial investment in South Africa in which it has consolidated its two manufacturing plants in KwaZulu-Natal in a greenfield project in Willowton in Pietermaritzburg where it has made provision for much of its electrical requirement itself. Anchor Chemicals took the decision two years ago to consolidate its production facility in… Read more »

DEMAPLASTECH, the Johannesburg-based equipment supplier, recently celebrated its 21st year in operation. From small beginnings, the company has proved to be one of the most consistently reliable plastics processing machinery suppliers in the SA market: it has stuck with the machine brands it has supplied over the past two decades-plus as well as retained the… Read more »

THE 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Egypt, once again placed a strong emphasis on climate change and the importance of making the shift from pledging to implementing transitionary plans. In his speech delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa… Read more »

BORDIC, an established supplier of a wide range of plastic films and paper stock as well as plastic and paper labelling materials, has diversified its business model and entered the polymer supply sector. This was a logical step for the supplier as it was already servicing many film convertors across the southern Africa region and… Read more »

BERRY Global’s unique CleanStream® recycling technology, the first closed-loop system to mechanically process domestically recovered household waste polypropylene (PP) back into food-grade packaging, has been granted a Letter of No Objection (LNO) from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The LNO confirms that the post-consumer recycled (PCR) PP produced by the CleanStream process can… Read more »

ZIBO Containers is busy with one of the biggest plastics recycling projects to date in South Africa, that of the commissioning and trialing of a washplant to clean PET thermoformed containers – with the aim of reusing the resulting rPET in the production of food-grade thermoformed packaging containers. By late-November Zibo an estimated 6-8 tons… Read more »

PIMMSA Group has experienced significant growth over the last two years and, with its acquisition of pharmaceutical packaging brand Medena, has established a cleanroom facility offering in-mould labelling and product printing. The organisation, a plastic product manufacturer focusing on innovative, high-quality products, has also expanded into three IMM plants, built a larger and dedicated toolroom… Read more »

THE Centre for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC) is building a new upscaled RESIN8 plant in Cape Town, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, following recent plant openings in Costa Rica and an upcoming factory launch in York, Pennsylvania. The goal is to complete the construction phase before the year-end and… Read more »

KZNR has been appointed as the official distributer of Ineos Composites for the Derakane™ range of vinyl esters, unsaturated polyester resins and gelcoats products for the sub-Saharan and Indian Ocean Islands region Acknowledged worldwide as a leader in corrosion-resistant resins for the composites market, the Derakane™ range offers high resistance to oxidizing acids and solvents… Read more »

ATLANTIC Plastics Recycling (APR) recently commissioned the Intarema RegrindPro 1108TVE Plus, the latest technology from Erema, with Counter Current, Smart Start and EcoSAVE technology, successfully implementing Phase 1 of APR’s re-investment strategy. This is in alignment with APR’s renewed vision of being a key strategic recycling partner in the South African plastics industry, adding value… Read more »

In the presence of the South African Environment Minister, the ALPLA Group opened a state-of-the-art production site in Lanseria near Johannesburg. In the new headquarters for Sub-Saharan Africa, the internationally active plastic packaging specialist is merging five previous locations in South Africa under one roof. All ALPLA technologies, processes and materials are combined in the… Read more »

BILL Lee – aka ‘Mr. Ultrasonics’ – has over the past 47 years solved just about every plastics joining problem presented … except one, that of finding a lasting succession plan for his company, W Lee-Ultraplast. However, a solution recently arose when Craig Parkes, after five years at the Devland, Johannesburg, company succeeded in meeting… Read more »

OKE South Africa, the local business of the German multi-national group, has successfully completed the integration of the Cape companies it purchased over the past few years and is expanding supply into a number of sectors in SA from its new resettled platform. OKE purchased Viking Plastics, a Cape Town injection moulding business in 2014,… Read more »

PACKAGING World of Durban has shown impressive 0-100 acceleration in the print area since its decision to start printing in mid-2017 – and we’re talking here about speeds not often seen in the industry to date. It has since commissioned an additional laminator and two printers and has another printer on the water. Each of… Read more »

A LOT of people, here and around the world, say a polymer plant that is 50 years or older is dated and should be replaced, but you won’t be hearing that from Safripol, one of South Africa’s leading polymer manufacturer, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its entry to the polymer supply business this year…. Read more »

RUBBER Products & Mouldings of Cape Town has started a polyurethane casting plant, a move which has required intensive training as well as extending its plant by taking on additional factory space. Sue Supasar and Wayne Tozer, partners at RPM, believe it’s worth “doing it right the first time” and so invested in high-tech casting… Read more »

Ferro Coating Resins (Pty) Ltd, Ferro Dispersions (Pty) Ltd and NCS Resins (Pty) Ltd, all Bud Group companies have taken the strategic decision to merge and form a unified business entity under the NCS South Africa banner. Based in KZN, NCS  South Africa is now one of the largest manufacturers servicing the composites, coatings and… Read more »

FLOWLINE, a manufacturer of acid resistant lining systems for the mining and industrial sectors, has been purchased by Urethane Moulded Products in what is effectively a new venture as UMP has invited on board a BEE partner, Harry Mashaba, who now has a majority stake in the company. Flowline has been in operation for over… Read more »

CONTINENTAL Engineering Compounds successfully concluded the commissioning of a R25-million investment in its Pinetown production facility in September this year. The new line provides the ability to produce highly filled concentrates using the most up to date technology available globally. The focus of this site is to produce engineered compounds for both the industrial and… Read more »

JENS Eichhoff has started Cast It Mould & Tool in Benoni, a business specialising in the production of cast aliminum moulds for the roto moulding sector. The venture is basically a direct descendant of Castec, the company of the late Mike Herald who for close to 40 years set the standard in South Africa for… Read more »

IN THIS latest Way2K interview conducted by the VDMA in the lead-up to the K2022 trade show in Dusseldorf, Germany in October, Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of Reifenhäuser Group talks about the need for a plastics industry that is fit for the demands of the future.   What problems does the plastics industry face today? In… Read more »

WRAPETFILL, the integrated consultancy/machinery/material supply business, has noticed some new opportunities for the plasma treatment systems from Delta Engineering of Belgium, which it represents. Delta’s plasma systems offer improved efficiency with reduced costs compared to technology used in South Africa to date. Delta Engineering is primarily a downstream automation company for container producers, offering standard… Read more »

ECO Tanks, the national roto moulded tank manufacturer, was the joint sponsor of the recent SA National Acrobatic Championships … along with who else but Red Bull. You need horns … I mean wings … to do this sort of thing, although maybe not a helluva lot more than you do to be a tank… Read more »

CAPE roto moulder 4EVR took centre stage at the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards in Germany in June when it won a top award for its new EdgeOut camper-trailer. Designed and manufactured in South Africa, the EdgeOut camper-trailer is a world-first roto moulded solution suitable for use on tar and gravel roads, with just one… Read more »

PLASTIC and Chemical Trading (PC&T) now offers an active and tailored service to all users of Mold-Masters hot-runners in South Africa. PC&T was recently appointed as the agent for Canadian-based Mold-Masters, which manufactures plastic processing equipment and systems, specifically hot-runners, temperature controllers and auxiliary injection and co-injection machines. “We want to offer an active and… Read more »

STATISTICS from South Africa’s longest-standing plastics producer responsibility organisation indicate that the country’s PET plastic recycling rates are recovering after the lockdown regulations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to figures released at the PET Recycling Company’s (PETCO) annual general meeting in June, 2.1 billion PET bottles were diverted from landfill last year thanks to… Read more »

ZARCAPLAS, a new injection moulding business operating out of Blackheath in the Western Cape, went into operation in 2019 in most unexpected circumstances, and just in time for the lockdown – which would have killed off most start-up ventures right there. The fact that Zarcaplas even got off the ground is testament to skills learned… Read more »

Roediger Agencies in Stellenbosch, a dedicated testing laboratory service for polymers, recently invested a six-figure sum in LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Analysis) testing equipment. For the layperson, the LC-MS* is able to separate and identify larger particles in the material, whereas the Gas Chromatography Analysis** (GCMS), of which Roediger Agency has two, separates and… Read more »

Plastic and rubber machinery supply business Hestico is celebrating 60 years of active operation this year, almost certainly making it the oldest equipment supply business in the industry in South Africa. At the time of its founding in May 1962, the purchase of production machinery was a difficult undertaking for convertors since most of the… Read more »

POLYMER scientists at Stellenbosch University have developed a novel method to break down lignin – a by-product in the paper manufacturing process – into valuable chemicals that can be used as raw materials in the chemical and polymer manufacturing industry. Lignin is one of the main components of trees and plants, but chemically it is… Read more »

IF YOU don’t know much about phenolics, you are not alone. The topic drew interest recently following West African Group’s acquisition of the distribution rights for phenolic resins in Southern Africa. This came about as a result of SI Group’s termination of production and supply of these materials in South Africa. SI Group, a global… Read more »

ECHA, the European Chemical Association, has recently promulgated regulations that TiO2 addition levels in powder mixtures above 1% carry specified warning labels, which regulation has since been included in the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) protocols in Europe. The European Commission classified TiO2 as a suspected carcinogen (cat 2.) by inhalation, limited to… Read more »

THE departure of Wirquin from Somerset East in late 2021 left a gaping hole in the economy of the Eastern Cape town, a gap which local hydraulics and injection moulding company Hyco Enterprises has partly filled, in the process providing work for at least some of the 120-plus who lost their jobs as well as… Read more »

AS companies navigate the new mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) landscape, a leading recycler in the plastics value chain has revealed the unexpected ease in managing its new reporting and compliance requirements as a producer. One of the biggest recyclers of PET plastic bottles on the African continent, Extrupet, has been guided in its journey… Read more »

NO RISK, no gain. It’s really as simple as that in South Africa at present, there is just no rescue net for entrepreneurs who venture forth and as a result for most of these people failure is just not an option. That is certainly the case over at Rubber Products & Mouldings in Maitland in… Read more »

SOUTH Africans are gearing up for an exciting rugby season in 2022. After two years of limited games and spectator participation due to Covid-19, faithful supporters around the country cannot wait to get back into stadiums to show their support for their teams participating in the various local and international rugby matches that will be… Read more »

BOWLER group has completed its purchase of Skye Plastics of Johannesburg, creating a new expanded entity that will have the capacity and skills to set the benchmark for a one-stop-shop for exceptional service and quality in the small to medium sized rigid plastic packaging manufacture in Southern Africa. Bowler group operates several production units around… Read more »

THE South African plastics industry has distanced itself from a Durban-based plastic bag manufacturer who allegedly siphoned off millions of Rands from the plastic bag tax levy. According to a newspaper article (“Plastics bag tax scam”, Sunday Times, 26 March) the company in question has been providing plastic bags to major retailers around the country…. Read more »

THE OECD’s first Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options report, published in February, offers for the first time a comprehensive overview of current plastics production, use and waste generation, together with an assessment of the underlying economic drivers. The report also maps the related environmental impacts on a global level such… Read more »

THIRSTI, a manufacturer of mineral water and related beverages in KZN, where it taps into an extremely pure water source from the Drakensberg mountains, has opened a plant in the Western Cape. The choice of Tulbagh for its second plant followed an extensive search for a similarly pure water source that led Thirsti personnel to… Read more »

THE Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA), supported by members of the Global Vinyls Council (GVC), has rejected the Phase 1 list of “problematic and unnecessary plastics” published recently by the SA Plastics Pact. This list advocates for these plastics in packaging to be phased out by members by the end of 2022 as part of… Read more »

WINNERS of the 2021 South African Small Business Awards were announced in November last year, and among the Top 20 was colour compounding and milling company, Kainotomia Polymers. Kainotomia Polymers was judged and selected from hundreds of entries to rank among the top 20 small businesses in South Africa. Kainotomia Polymers was thanked for “its… Read more »

CYPET Technologies, European manufacturer of PET injection stretch blow moulding machines, is about to change the global Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) market. Using its extensive injection stretch blow moulding experience for large PET containers and following an intensive development programme, CYPET is extending its technology to stretch-blow-mould 1 000 litre IBC bottles from PET. CYPET is… Read more »

AERONTEC, supplier and distributor of composite materials and technology in South Africa, celebrates its 20th anniversary in February. With its head office in Cape Town and branches in Gauteng and Jeffreys Bay, the company has evolved to become one the most respected in the composites arena, locally and globally. The company’s growth and success over… Read more »

Doyen of the South African plastics industry, Annabe Pretorius, has joined Plastics SA as Executive: Technical Operations. Together with essential staff, her task will be to gather information and turn it into useful tools to assist the plastics industry to become economically and environmentally sustainable. Annabe’s involvement in the SA plastics industry has spanned more… Read more »

BECAUSE of various challenges and obstacles the past financial year was not an easy one for the local plastics industry, admitted Plastics SA Executive Director, Anton Hanekom, at the association’s AGM in November. “Factors such as the ongoing loadshedding, water shortages, political unrest and impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of our… Read more »

A HUMBLE supermarket trolley has been crowned the Best Recycled Product of the Year at the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation’s biennial competition, which took place on 14 October 2021. Manufactured by Supercart SA for Pick n Pay and entered for the Consumer & Leisure category, the trolley is moulded in HDPE and comprises of… Read more »

FRESH from the fiasco of its venture into PET recycling, Mpact Group is involved in further major expansion of its plastics business with a sizeable chunk of that going into recycling, now for polyolefins. In this case the vehicle for the expansion is Mpact Plastic Containers (MPC), which is a separate business within the Mpact… Read more »

THERE may be some confusion about the origins of the name of the company Fenix Rising, but there’s no doubt about its intentions, it literally is rising from the ashes of a failed business venture. Fenix is a Cape Town-based multi-channel roto supply business which, besides manufacturing roto powders as well as its own roto machines,… Read more »

INTRA-AFRICA trade specialist Safrique of Johannesburg is celebrating its 25th year of doing business across the continent. Cross-border trade is difficult on most continents, and in Africa the challenges are possibly even greater, but Safrique has survived and thrived during this period, with Merwyn Moodley and Safrique’s team of traders having literally crisscrossed the continent… Read more »

INNOVATIVE technology to track, trace and record the trading in recyclable materials is being rolled out across South Africa. The move is set to empower recycling SMMEs, strengthen the value chain and promote the economic inclusion of the informal sector. An innovative digital platform called BanQu will help buy-back centres accurately record and track their… Read more »

S & N RUBBER of Port Elizabeth has purchased the sponge moulding and component production assets of Rubbertek of Durban. Established by the late Reg Connelly in the late ’80s, Rubbertek was involved in both rubber compounding and the production of rubber technical components, mainly by injection and compression moulding and sponge extrusion. It had… Read more »

THERE are few experiences for mould makers to top that of having a mould accepted at the initial mould trial. In most cases, minor adjustments need to be undertaken to meet the end user’s brief. The more complex the job is – the more satisfying this can be. For Wizard Tool & Die of Johannesburg,… Read more »

PERFORMANCE Colour Systems is pioneering micro-granule technology for use in colouring applications where only light colour tints are required. A main feature of this market is that, although addition levels are relatively low, many of the applications are in popular consumer products where on-going colour tint consistency is extremely necessary. Brand suppliers desire extremely minimal… Read more »

LEADING coex films manufacturer Nylopack has, in the quiet times that Covid induced, installed yet another big 5-layer Rajoo extrusion line. Continuing with its plant buildup since entering the multi-layer films sector in 2010, when the Nylopack partners bought the films business of Huhtamaki, the company has made successive investments in plant including the purchase… Read more »

SOUTH Africa’s first community polystyrene brick making factory using recycled polystyrene opened its doors in Atlantis outside of Cape Town in November 2021. The Khaya Khanya Atlantis Lightweight Concrete Factory is the first franchise of many that will be established in municipalities around South Africa over the next five years. The factory is expected to… Read more »

By BEVAN DAVIS, Managing Director, Conver-Tek   I ASKED a highly respected, senior ex-Eskom engineer and power consultant to assess the risk of not converting my factory to a system totally independent of Eskom. Any 24-hour plastics manufacturer, whether they are doing injection moulding, blow moulding or extrusion or other process, needs a continuous process… Read more »

By Carolina Perujo Holland, Analyst, Plastic Recycling at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS) WASTE management is currently one of the main challenges faced by the African recycled polymer supply chain. Population growth rates are over 2% per year and the consequent increase in consumption of plastics packaging makes this the largest fraction of waste after… Read more »

Envirolite is proof that polystyrene CAN be recycled – and even better, that any colour of polystyrene can be used. Envirolite work closely with waste management services across South Africa to divert polystyrene waste from landfill to be used in the manufacture of energy efficient walling and flooring products. Our vision is to turn the… Read more »

GROWTH in South Africa’s population and increased urbanisation has led to an increase in per capita waste generation. This places stress on current landfills and results in litter in the environment. As a pro-active response to the growing national concern around waste and its impact on society and the environment, South Africa recently published the… Read more »

PRECISION VALVE SA in Rosslyn established in 1968 and since then one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of aerosol dispensing products, is living up to its status as a member of the international PRECISION Group by going, literally, global too. It has recently exported a number of containers of aerosol parts to back up the… Read more »

PRINCIPLE Plastics in Port Elizabeth has come up with a novel cooling solution for its fleet of injection moulding machines – by circulating water from its firefighting water storage tanks via a Plate Heat Exchanger system, to keep the moulding machines oil at optimum temperatures. The solution saves both water and energy costs. Principle is… Read more »

A GROUND-BREAKING trial that renders plastic bottles with self-adhesive labels fully recyclable promises positive spin-offs for the environment and plastic producers who have until November to comply with Section 18 of the National Environmental Management Waste Act. Until now, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles with adhesive labels have hampered South African recycling processes, because the… Read more »

SUSTAINABILITY runs through everything that Lee Barker does! The owner of three businesses, Lee recently moved her operations to Woodstock in Cape Town, where she has set up shop in a building she has called The Manufactorie – a place to play. Lee is the epitome of the saying “dynamite comes in small packages”. She… Read more »

EBOR East London, the second manufacturing unit in the Ebor group following the establishment of Ebor Automotive Systems in Port Elizabeth in 2014, has gone into operation at the East London IDZ. A major venture following the success of the group’s first venture in PE, Ebor EL has been set up specifically to supply first-tier… Read more »

INTRODUCING a new make of machine (into any country) is always a difficult undertaking, not just for the machine manufacturer – it’s a challenge too for the machine supplier and for the first customers. By now skepticism about Chinese injection moulding machine has faded to a distant murmur, although it wasn’t so at first. In… Read more »

CABLETECH Marketing, suppliers of solutions to the South African plastic’s industry since 1976, and proudly associated with Haitian International, has added Haitian’s Hision CNC range to the already very successful Haitian injection moulding machine range. The VMC series machines was specifically built for the mould making industry and features Hision’s own 12 000rpm BT40 spindle, Fanuc… Read more »

SAFRIPOL, which operates HD and PP manufacturing plants in Sasolburg and a PET plant in Durban, has for long been one of South Africa’s most reliable material suppliers, but the second half of 2020 saw a number of supply interruptions. We asked chief operating officer at Safripol, Nico van Niekerk, what happened? SAPT: Nico, you… Read more »

VISION from Robatech SA is a smart adhesive melter for the high-quality adhesive application of thermoplastic hot melt adhesives. Vision has one of the best ratios of melting performance to device length, and the innovative FlexPort and the advanced Smart Terminal combine energy-efficient design and new electronics into a smart melter for safe product gluing… Read more »

RIGIFOAM has purchased National Urethane Industries, including all its plant, lab and intellectual property, in the process creating one of the top polyurethane solutions supply operations in Africa. The transaction was completed recently, for an undisclosed sum. Like Rigifoam, National Urethane Industries (NUI) is a Johannesburg-based polyurethane systems house with a national footprint plus exports… Read more »

KAINOTOMIA Polymers opened its doors in September 2020 in Icon Industrial Park, Centurion. Owned and run by Albert Gildenhuys, the company has seen consistent growth in the first seven months of operations. Kainotomia specialises in the colour compounding and milling of LLDPE into powders for the rotomoulding industry. The name ‘Kainotomia’ is derived from a… Read more »

FOLLOWING the recent new EU regulation for caps and closures, manufacturers in the EU must ensure that any caps and closures they manufacture must be ‘tethered’ by July 2024 at the latest. Tethered caps are caps which remain firmly attached to the bottle after opening and during the product’s service life or life cycle. “Plastic… Read more »

WITH the innovative MRSjump Extruder, Gneuss offers an optimum solution for post-consumer tray-to-tray recycling, which meets all requirements of completely circular modern food packaging. Recycling and decontamination with the MRSjump Extruder are possible in one single extrusion step without upstream or downstream material treatment steps. This opens up new possibilities for the recycling of tray… Read more »

ELECTROMOBILITY, autonomous driving and connectivity are among the major trends that are set to fundamentally change demands on vehicles and consequently on how they are manufactured. The body, the lighting systems, the glazing and the interior must be thought of differently, requiring new technologies. Injection moulding technology, with its diverse options for process integration and… Read more »

WITH a solid foundation, Craft Plastics, which started in 1994 in Gauteng, was built up with blood, sweat and tears.  Director Bevan Lambinon has now been able to branch out both in his business offerings and his imagination. Craft Trading and Projects Pty Ltd was launched In February 2020 to facilitate the exponential growth of… Read more »

RUSH Recycling, which specializes in the separation of aluminium foil from thermoformed plastic sheeting, has put its plant into operation in a venture that has the potential to be a first for South Africa. Based in Wadeville, Johannesburg, Rush is a startup venture by Brian Fetting which is recycling material which up until now has… Read more »

PERSPEX South Africa has successfully assisted in developing a closed loop recycling system in which it recycles the plastics and aluminium in Tetra Pak packaging and extrudes this into sheets of PolyAl that are used to manufacture retail displays. Tetra Pak has recycled the bioplastic cap (biodegradable) and cardboard (recycled into paper pulp) components of… Read more »

PELMANCO, the polyolefins recycler based in Blackheath near Cape Town, has recently installed its biggest Erema system yet. Established in 1992, Pelmanco has installed a series of Erema systems over the years, starting in 2003, as it steadily increased volume throughput, and the commissioning of the new system in November last year is evidence that… Read more »

BANBURY and Hubron will be celebrating their 24th year of partnership this year, having come together in 1997. The collaboration has been a catalyst for success and expansion in South Africa, with thousands of tons of Hubron’s Black Masterbatch being used for a large variety of applications. As one of the world’s leading suppliers of… Read more »

EXTRUPET commissioned its third food-grade line in January and now has three operational food grade rPET lines. SA Polymer Technology spoke to Harjinder Kaur Jutley (Jiney), Extrupet’s sales coordinator. How has the installation of your third food-grade line been going? Jiney: Wow, what a journey! The start of lock down, at the end of March… Read more »

TEQAL, the specialist producer of injection moulded rigid plastic containers for the cosmetics and industrial sectors, has been awarded a R50-million financing facility by the IDC to expand its factory at the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone. Started as a greenfields venture in 2016 in a mini-factory at Dube Trade House in KZN, Teqal ‘cherry… Read more »

METALS business Insimbi Group has settled its plastic container and drum manufacturing venture and is now ready to tell the market about it. JSE-listed Insimbi’s core business prior to its entry to the plastic container sector was the supply of metals, including steel and aluminum as well as foundry products. It became involved in plastics… Read more »

DANONE has taken on the challenge to provide COVID-compliant desks to seven ECD schools, five of which are based in Ekurhuleni, the metropolitan in which its production facility is situated. What makes these desks unique is that they are made up of recycled yoghurt tubs. Converting waste into resources addresses a social need in two… Read more »

BAGMAN of East London has entered into one of the more unusual recycling ventures of late, the reprocessing of bioriented polypropylene film. Few, if any, have been involved in reprocessing BOPP, mainly originating from film scrap, which is widely used (chip, biscuit and other packets) and virtually all of which goes to landfill. But Bagman… Read more »

DRV Plastics, based in Roodepoort, Gauteng, has commissioned two Wintec injection moulding machines supplied by local agent, Greentech Machinery. DRV Plastics specialises in the production of aerosol and generic closures, promotional packaging and containers and larger part injection moulded parts for the industrial industry.  It prides itself on its ability to provide customers with fast… Read more »

TSHWANE University of Technology launched a new qualification in October ­ the Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Materials Engineering in Polymer Technology. The aim of this new qualification is to addresses the critical shortage of qualified plastics technicians and engineers facing South Africa, as the global competition and technical skills gaps in the industry increase…. Read more »

SOUTH Africa’s first road made from a mixture of recycled tyres and asphalt has been hailed a success, and it may be the start of a new road structure for the country. In November 2019, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with Much Asphalt, the largest commercial asphalt producer in southern… Read more »

PLASTICS/SA, the umbrella body representing the entire South African plastics industry, has just released the plastics recycling figures for the year ending December 2019. A detailed survey into the state of the country’s plastics recycling industry is conducted annually by Annabé Pretorius of Plastix 911 – an independent consultant who has an unsurpassable knowledge of… Read more »

DARSIM Tool & Die, founded in 1992 by Jorge Simoes, began to really surge ahead after its Ótima housewares brand was brought to life by Jorge and his son Dario in 2012, as the need for quality and affordable houseware products emerged in South Africa, and later in southern Africa By the time of the… Read more »

POLYOAK Packaging embraced the important role it plays in ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential packaging for food, beverages and products throughout the COVID lockdown during which it took proactive steps early on to ensure the safety of its people and bolster its operations. Before the official lockdown commenced, the country-wide group had already placed preventative… Read more »

Zibo Containers of Cape Town has taken a bold step with the installation of a Vacurema line that will enable it to recycle post-consumer PET material for the production of FDA/EFSA approved food-grade trays and punnets. Up to now, PET trays – which although highly popular, constitute only about 10% of SA’s estimated 260 000… Read more »

PLANS for the construction of a PET plant at the Coega IDZ near Port Elizabeth by Utshongo Polytech have progressed, even during the lockdown, and the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) study now being conducted is the next step for the ambitious, estimated R1,3-billion project. The Utshongo project was introduced to the local market in November… Read more »

AFTER four years of operation, the Mandela Bay Composites Cluster has had to close due to funding difficulties. The Cluster was initially established by funding from the DTI as part of the national Cluster Development Programme and was co-funded by industry partners . “As a result of funding shortfalls, that are expected to persist, and which… Read more »

BAGMAN of East London, a bag manufacturer which switched to mainstream recycling, recently went up a gear when it commissioned its most advanced line yet, a Polystar Repro-Flex 100 recycling extrusion system. Bagman obtained its Waste Licence in early 2019 after a long and expensive process, according to Bagman MD Wouter de Lange, who was… Read more »

BANBURY Colour & Dosing Solutions has taken on a new agency – Kalay, a Brazilian-based manufacturer of high-quality colorants and additives for the plastics industry, at the same time parting ways with Holland Colours who Banbury has represented in SA for many years. “We look forward to continuing our relationships with every single customer and… Read more »

We talk to Russell Westley, who looks after Extrupet’s key accounts, about the addition of the new Starlinger line and what this means for food grade recycling SAPT: Good morning to Extrupet, how is the recycling business in the middle of the pandemic? Russ: Good morning! Yes, it certainly has been a time of reflection…. Read more »

As most of you are no doubt aware, Packaging SA, Plastics/SA, the various PRO’s and other interested parties have been engaging with Government over the past nine months regarding the proposed Section 18 notice. Section 18 refers to the Extended Producer Responsibility EPR) aspect of the National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA) and essentially replaces… Read more »

THE expansion and upgrade of the Spec Tool & Die facility in 2018 has bolstered the company’s innovation and design capabilities from its Durban-based premises and has provided Berry Astrapak with its own in-house design and tooling capabilities. Enhancing their professionalism – which was established in 1991 and has earned the reputation as specialists in… Read more »

RAWMAC Import and Distribution celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, marking an illustrious career in the SA plastics raw materials industry. Established in 1980, Rawmac supplies engineering polymers to the industry, also providing logistics and technical backup. With a presence in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, the company is one of SA’s longest… Read more »

CONTINENTAL Compounders, the largest PVC compounder in Sub Saharan Africa, has expanded its range and compound product offering to now also offer the South African market engineering polymers, opening a specialised production site in Marianhill, KwaZulu-Natal, to accommodate this. Continental Compounders compound in excess of 40 000 metric tons a year, together with its engineering… Read more »

RARE Plastics, Meyerton-based HDPE pipe manufacturer and distributor, recently achieved its SANS ISO 4437.2 certification to manufacture HDPE gas pipe. “Rare Plastics believes in setting the benchmark for quality in our industry, so achieving this certification ensures that we continue to strive for perfection. It enables us to give our clients the assurance that they… Read more »

POLAR Plastics, based in Robertville in Northern Johannesburg, successfully commissioned two new machines at its premises in recent months – a Haitian MA160 International IMM injection moulder and a Dawson ABLB80 Single Head Double Station blow moulding machine. Established in 1996, Polar Plastics specialises in plastic screw-on closures and a range of bottles, serving the… Read more »

By SYSPRO chief product officer, Paulo de Matos MANUFACTURERS and distributors are operating in intensely pressured times. Stats SA reported that manufacturing output decreased for the ninth consecutive month in February of 2020 with the full extent of the damage caused by Covid-19 and the nationwide lockdown still unknown. There is no doubt that COVID-19… Read more »

THE South African plastics industry has welcomed the recent findings released by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), confirming that reusable, plastic shopping bags have the lowest environmental footprint compared to carrier bags made from alternative materials. The study was funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and aimed to identify… Read more »

KZN-based GPS Plastics has manufactured and donated more than 17 500 face shields to frontline workers in SA, with the majority going to state-run hospital staff. GPS Plastics is now also looking at various other products that it can assist with during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Govender, MD of GPS Plastics said that a 3D… Read more »

  COVID-19 is reshaping the South African and African  manufacturing sector and is compounding existing challenges while simultaneously eradicating established practices, subsequently altering the manufacturing world as we know it for the foreseeable future. However, with change, brings opportunity. The Manufacturing Indaba, together with Futureworld invite you to re-envisage your manufacturing or related business by… Read more »

THE Coronavirus outbreak has left no person or industry unaffected. Whilst the rest of the country is in lockdown at their homes, South Africa’s police force, healthcare professionals and other workers in the frontline fight against the Covid-19 virus are ill-equipped and face serious shortages of gloves, masks and other protective gear. “As the plastics… Read more »

The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) – the standards body for the local plastic pipe industry, is urging Government to allow its members to reopen their manufacturing facilities four weeks into the national COVID-19 lockdown. “Safe drinking water is a prerequisite for protecting public health and all human activity. Properly treated waste water… Read more »

SAFRIPOL’S 2020 Sustainability Conference focussed on the many environmental problems faced by the industry with presentations from across the board adding to the mix as, let’s face it, the search for solutions continues. Of considerable interest to all delegates was the presentation by Craig Arnold, formerly president of Dow Chemical Sub-Saharan Africa, but since seconded… Read more »

KAAP Agri, the JSE-listed group trading in agricultural, fuel and related retail markets, has unveiled its first major investment of more than R150 million to further bolster its manufacturing capabilities. The investment entails the establishment of Tego Plastics (Pty) Ltd, a new subsidiary of the Kaap Agri Group, based in Brackenfell, Cape Town. Tego Plastics… Read more »

INKULU Plastic Pipe of KZN has recently completed one of its biggest capex projects to date, the commissioning of a 1200mm solid wall pipe extrusion line from a Zhangjiagang City Yili Machinery Co. of China. The order was placed in August 2018 and delivery was made during December 2019. The first production was run during… Read more »

Plasticpreneur, a global company that develops and provides easy access, small-scale plastic recycling machines, and teaches social entrepreneurship skills enabling grassroots access to turning plastic waste into new products, is giving one Face Shield free to someone in need with every one bought. With its machines in place the batch production of products like a… Read more »

PLASTICS/SA, the umbrella body representing all sectors of the South African plastics industry (including polymer producers and importers, converters, machine suppliers, fabricators and recyclers), is urging the Government to classify certain of its sectors as essential workers. This comes in the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the nation will be locked down from… Read more »

WHILE the containment of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains the biggest priority of governments and health organisations, businesses are starting to take a toll. As cities start to shut down in an effort to curb the spread of the disease, local businesses have felt the direct impact of this on income. The true impact of the… Read more »

THE plastic bag levy will more than double on 1 April when Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni’s, budgetary directive comes into play – raising the levy from 12c to 25c. The 2020 Budget Review also revealed that National Treasury will be consulting on extending the current levy on plastic bags in 2021 to all single-use plastics… Read more »

THE Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) has postponed its upcoming 1-day industry conference, Vinyls2020, which was scheduled to take place at Emperors Palace on Friday, 12 June, until next year following the escalation of the Corona Virus (Covid-19). “Our aim with hosting this industry event is to ensure that we offer a truly world-class conference… Read more »

MILLIONS of South Africans were glued to their television sets on 13 February, to watch President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. As the President was setting out government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year… Read more »

THE official launch of the SA Plastics Pact on 30 January saw a 100-seater conference room left with only standing room as key stakeholders in the plastics value chain – including businesses, governments and NGOs – gathered to learn more about this bold initiative. The statistics about plastic pollution are overwhelming, but initiatives such as… Read more »

DESPITE the fact that a considerable amount of time, money and effort have been invested to prepare and submit an Industry Waste Management Plan (IndWMP) for the paper and packaging industry, the SA government have unilaterally made the decision to scrap the existing Section 28 plan. However, SA’s plastics and packaging industries, represented by Packaging… Read more »

PURPLE LINE PLASTICS, the Cape small container manufacturing specialist, has achieved another coup with the introduction of new technology for the 2-stage stretch blow moulding of polypropylene containers, possibly the first in South Africa to do so. Purple Line MD Charl du Plessis and ‘lieutenant/sheriff’ Kevin Marle have been operating the company in Triangle Farm,… Read more »

SUN Plastics, the Botswana-based manufacturer of innovative and advanced barrier flexible packaging, has recently gained A-category BRC accreditation. With over 40 years experience in the flexible packaging market within the Southern Africa region, Sun Plastics is dedicated to produce the most technologically advanced films and offers quality and service to international standards. Sun Plastics is… Read more »

TWO huge Tederic injection moulding machines, of 4500 and 2700 tons clamp force capacity, have been commissioned at Tego Plastics in Cape Town. The new systems are the biggest injection machines from China to be installed in South Africa to date, an impressive showing of the growing efficiency and capability of the Chinese machine manufacturers,… Read more »

Three-year qualification specifically to prepare plastics technicians and engineers for SA market AFTER a few years of developmental workshops, Plastics/SA, the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and various other stakeholders  . More than 50 people from various companies in the plastics industry, representatives of the Plastics Institute (PISA) and students attended. This qualification seeks to… Read more »

THE South African Initiative to End Plastic Waste has already made important progress in its efforts to find workable solutions that will end plastic from polluting the environment. According to Plastics/SA executive director, Anton Hanekom, the initiative was formed earlier this year and enjoys the support and active participation of the entire packaging value chain… Read more »

K2019, the leading global trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, has drawn to a close in Düsseldorf after eight days. The 3,330 exhibitors from 63 nations proved impressively: plastics continue to be an innovative, indispensable, future-oriented material. But they also unanimously underscored the necessity of having operational circular economies along the complete material… Read more »

GLOBAL colorant provider Chromaflo Technologies, has made its second international acquisition in less than a year, this time buying Liquid Colours (Pty) Ltd of South Africa for an undisclosed price. Liquid Colours’ colorant dispersion division includes pigment dispersions and colorant technologies for decorative paint point-of-sale, in-plant systems, industrial coatings and other applications. That business will… Read more »

PRODUCTIVITY Engineering Services and Consultants (PESC), an independent polymer and plastics testing laboratory, successfully obtained SANAS accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025 at the end of July, a first of its kind in South Africa. François Prinsloo (Ndip & BTech Polymer Technology), PESC lab quality manager, says ISO 17025 accreditation is awarded for the competence of testing… Read more »

PlasX, a new injection moulding business in Port Elizabeth, has recently commissioned its plant – including 14 Haixing injection moulding machines – in what must be one of the most impressive ventures in SA this year. The start-up business, in totally refurbed industrial premises in Korsten, is a collaboration between a number of shareholders, including… Read more »

CABLETECH installed a Haitian Mars 2500/1000G injection moulding machine at Ian Brown Engineering, owner and manufacturer of the Rybro brand of castors and wheels. This increases the company’s fleet to seven injection moulding machines, with the MA2500/1000G unit being the largest. Based in Kya Sands in Johannesburg, Ian Brown Engineering – widely known as ‘IBE’… Read more »

SPECIALIST mould repair/maintenance business, Injection Technik, is now also supplying the Airtect leak detection system for hot runner moulds. Manufactured by the eponymously name Airtect of Ireland, the system is a modular and fixed leak detection technology designed to monitor the injection process, starting with the barrel and nozzle up to the hot runner mould,… Read more »

In a ground-breaking, market-leading initiative, Shisalanga Construction – a majority owned subsidiary of Raubex Group Limited – has paved a South African road using a locally recycled plastic compound as part of the formula ingredient in the asphalt. During August, the South African recycled plastic road paving trial was successfully completed in Cliffdale, KwaZulu-Natal, in… Read more »

UTSHONGO Polytech has lifted the lid on its ambitious plan to construct a PET manufacturing plant at the Coega IDZ near Port Elizabeth in what is estimated to be a R1,3-billion undertaking . “We are going ahead with the project,” said Mphumezi Penny of Utshongo, based in Midrand. “The South African PET market needs a… Read more »

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… Read more »

TWENTY-three presenters, including several European-based advanced manufacturing experts, will address the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on South Africa’s manufacturing sectors at the African Advanced Manufacturing and Composites Show from 27-28 November. The international line-up includes Grafton LSR Ltd Engineering Director, Mark Chapman, whose team has engineered the Bloodhound –  the most advanced straight-line… Read more »

A NEW global materials distributor entered the international polymers market in July in the form of Meraxis Group, following the merger between the Swiss businesses MB Barter & Trading and Rehau GmbH. Meraxis made its official debut in the market on 1 July.and will be promoting itself as a new player in the market at… Read more »

BENEFICIATION is a term usually applied to the mining sector, a process that involves improving the economic value of ores, but there’s no reason for convertors to not look at a similar scenario for production scrap. These polymer materials are, after all, commodities and in some cases production scrap – including start-up scrap, edge trim… Read more »

BFG Africa Rail, a joint venture by global composites group BFG International of Bahrain and local black industrialist group Mergence, opened its South African moulding plant in Johannesburg on 18 July. Mergence, a diversified financial services group based in Cape Town. acquired a 51% stake in the R50-million venture, set up in June 2018, with… Read more »

LANXESS will be presenting a broad portfolio at the international trade fair for plastics and rubber K2019. On its 700 square meter stand, the specialty chemicals company will focus primarily on the topics of new mobility, urbanization and digitalization. “Innovative mobility solutions and modern urban concepts are currently being developed worldwide. These are important growth… Read more »

The car of the future will be a multifunctional, mobile living and working space. This is the guiding principle of a new interior concept for future mobility, which Covestro will present at the K 2019 plastics trade fair. Like the smartphone, it will seamlessly accompany its user around the clock and adapt to his or… Read more »

Now only four months before K2019 opens its gates again – the World’s No.1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, from 16-23 October at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, is fully booked, with over 3 000 exhibitors from 60 nations. If you’re a trade visitor, you may like to start planning your visit now, so that… Read more »

ZERMA exhibited at Chinapas in May and Zerma Africa’s Jeff Cawcutt was there to check out the company’s exciting new machinery – some of which are destined for South Africa. www.zerma.com

VESCONITE Bearings, based in the Free State-based, is ramping up its 5-axis machining capability in line with future demands for more complex machined parts made from its advanced engineered plastics. The company already has a Haas VF 11 and a 6-m Marufuku machining centre with a 5-axis head and is currently investigating the purchase of… Read more »

DOW and Menshen, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of caps, closures and single-serve capsules, have launched new Reverse Spout Sealing Technology that enables the production of spouted pouches made of mono-material films. This exciting technology allows converters to address the recycling criteria for flexible packaging and can help brands meet their sustainability packaging goals…. Read more »

AS the global movement away from single-use plastics gathers momentum, South Africa continues to make significant strides in its PET plastic recycling efforts. According to the latest statistics released by national industry body PET Recycling Company (PETCO), 98 649 tons of post-consumer PET plastic bottles were recycled last year alone, saving 612 000 cubic metres… Read more »

APRIL 10 saw the Inauguration of the 3D Printing High-Tech Centre, the largest and most advanced of its kind in Africa, at the Polytechnique at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon. The centre is the ‘brain-child’ of Israeli entrepreneur Uri Sela of Sela Educational Initiatives and incorporates state-of-the-art Israeli equipment and will offer both Cameroonian… Read more »

NAMIBIA Plastics of Windhoek has recently commissioned a new Reifenhäuser ‘Evolution’ blown film line in a project which could result in imported film being substituted by locally manufactured films for a number of Namibia’s main brand suppliers. Set up as recently as 2011 as a supplier of a range of packaging films, Namibia Plastics had… Read more »

THE fact that an estimated 30 million tons-plus of scrap tyres are lying out in the veld there somewhere, in South Africa alone, suggests this could be an untapped resource of a variety of materials, with carbon black being seen as the one most justifying recovery. Recovered carbon black (rCB) is now being seen as… Read more »

DETAILS of how brands, governments and other organisations are tackling plastic pollution have been set out side-by-side for the first time, thanks to a new report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, in collaboration with UN Environment. Major companies including Carrefour, Colgate Palmolive, MARS, Incorporated, Nestlé, SC Johnson, The Coca-Cola Company… Read more »

PLASTICS│SA has slated the move by retailers and shopping malls to ban plastic shopping bags as simplistic, rash responses to a complex problem.   In a statement by association, Executive Director, Anton Hanekom said what is required is a rational solution to the genuine crisis of plastic pollution, not an emotional reaction. “Many of those… Read more »

NEW Earth Recycling, a company based in Parow and a member of the award-winning Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), processes 40 tons of waste a month from polystyrene products to create new usable items valued at an estimated R3-million each month. Mayco Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, James Vos, explains the company’s… Read more »

PROPAK Africa and its co-located events in March saw over 600 exhibitors showcasing their newest products and technologies. Many new products and services were unveiled at the show and visitors were spoilt for choice with the latest state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, auxiliary products and services being exhibited. Held from 12-15 March at the Expo Centre… Read more »

SAFRIPOL upped its game a notch with the hosting of its first technical conference in Johannesburg in late-February, a two-day event attended by some 150 industry managers involved in the key areas where the now more diversified group is involved, packaging, pipe and PET. According to Safripol technology and innovation executive, Gert Claasen the goals… Read more »

INTELLISHIFT, an injection moulding, toolmaking and product development business, has set up its new plant in Meadowdale, Johannesburg. One of Intellishift’s first products is the iCatchi™ fly catcher device, which is a wholly new solution for the business of trapping flies intended for use in environments where flies are prevalent – which is just about… Read more »

HABITAT Industries, one of South Africa’s top toolrooms for blow moulds, has expanded its laser engraving capability to the point where it has become a virtual pioneer in this capacity. The springboard for its progress in this area was largely provided by its use of laser technolog for mould cleaning and repairs. Cape Town-based Habitat… Read more »

CTP Flexibles, CTP Limited’s flexible packaging and printing division, recently achieved BRC accreditation in a process that lifted its food grade quality standards compliance … and boosted cooperation among the company’s 170 staff. This adds to the company’s other quality standards achieved, including FSSC 22000 and FDA IMS compliance. The process at the Ndabeni, Cape… Read more »

POLYOAK Packaging is intensifying its commitment to extended producer responsibility, by partnering with its customers to optimise the recyclability of their packaging. Polyoak has been a contributing member of Petco, the PET industry’s recycling body, since its inception in 2004, and actively participates on the Petco board. In 2018, Petco and its member companies who… Read more »

A SWITCH to Mobil DTE™ 10 Excel hydraulic fluid helped Mpact Plastics in Pinetown reduce the energy used by processing equipment by 7%. The move also helped optimise equipment performance which reduced unscheduled maintenance, while the hydraulic fluid’s long life cut waste oil disposal costs. Mpact Plastics in Pinetown was looking for ways to improve… Read more »

SEVERAL international consumer goods companies operating across Africa, including Diageo, Unilever, The Coca Cola Company and Nestlé, launched the Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance at the CEO Africa Forum in Kigali. The Alliance aims to turn the current challenge of plastic waste in Sub-Saharan Africa into an opportunity to create jobs and commercial activity by improving… Read more »

PLASTICS|SA – the umbrella body representing the entire plastics industry in South Africa – invites all role players in the plastics value chain to jointly find workable solutions to end plastic pollution in our oceans and environment: Join the South African Alliance to End Plastic Pollution. South Africa’s plastic pollution problem is at risk of… Read more »

IN A growing industry shift towards sustainable packaging and product design, one of South Africa’s largest manufacturers of wood-based products, PG Bison, has decided to use only locally sourced and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) strapping. According to PG Bison’s chief executive officer, Gerhard Victor, the company uses 9.1 million metres of plastic strapping per annum… Read more »