Fenix Rising’s recycled roto materials gain traction
FENIX Rising, the Cape-based roto material supplier, has been receiving positive reviews from roto moulders around the country for the range of recycled roto powders it supplies.
Using recycled material for roto moulding had once been considered virtual heresy, both locally and internationally, but opinions have changed over the past decade, in sync with the re-evaluation of recycled plastic materials globally: where the converting market had previously shied away from its use, convertors have more recently been virtually obligated to include ever-increasing ratios of recycled material by brand owners and legislators to develop the plastic industry’s circular economy and sustainability performance image, including for food contact applications.
It was into this milieu that Fenix Rising stepped, quite literally rising from the ashes. The company uses the old English spelling of the fabled Phoenix (a mythical bird in Greek mythology that is reborn from its ashes, symbolising renewal and immortality) and there is little doubt that Werner du Toit and the team in Bellville Industria faced giant odds when commencing operations in 2014.
They were survivors from the implosion of their former employer, Lomold Group, that went down the tubes in late 2013 – its long-fibre injection moulding solution for pallets in tatters. The Lomold group included the subsidiaries Proplas, a multi-material recycling business, and Lomotek Polymers, a compounder and supplier of various materials, including roto powders. Following the Lomold crash, solutions had to be found and Du Toit took the plunge with Fenix, the business plan being to manufacture recycled LLDPE powders for roto moulding, with materials primarily sourced from Proplas. With several life rafts bobbing around, Proplas merged with Myplas, a dedicated recycling business operating from the same business park in Bellville Industria.
From 2017, in a case of going where no trek has before, Fenix also began manufacturing water tanks, and later septic tanks, wheelie bins, loos and other large mouldings – all with 100% recycled LLDPE. The results were good and received positive market acceptance, as well as having the added benefit of showcasing what is possible with 100% recycled materials to prospective powder purchasers.
In a further step, Fenix also began building roto moulding machines for the African market that can operate with extremely low infrastructure requirements (the machines even run on small generators). They now supply the full turnkey solution of materials, machines and training to anyone who wants to make water tanks and other products.
“Once we convince clients to try our recycled grades, they continue using the materials we supply,” explains Du Toit, who maintains that their material formulations are proprietary, having been developed over more than 20 years in the industry.
“You can’t make good material from bad material,” he adds, also noting that their focus has been on supplying materials with the best possible combination of melt flow and impact performance. These are vital criteria to ensure a smooth replacement of virgin in the roto moulding process – especially as impact properties have traditionally been the factor holding back the acceptance of recycled grades.
Fenix’s materials have been tested by Roediger Agencies, the Stellenbosch plastics lab, achieving food-grade standard approval from them. The company further tests each pallet of material that it produces for impact strength, mouldability, dry-flow and shrinkage factor – ensuring that clients get the best possible performance.
An important aspect of the process is that the recyclers involved, as well as the material collectors who supply them, need to be constantly aware that the roto materials have specific requirements and that the sorting process needs to comply accordingly.
The process has gathered momentum and several other recyclers have now also been activated and trained to supply the Fenix network with rLLDPE roto materials.
An advantage for Fenix is that the recycled materials come in at a slightly lower price than virgin materials, which has been difficult to achieve with commodity resin prices currently hovering at low levels. Customers can expect a 10%-20% saving compared to virgin, with top performance guaranteed.
A factor that users of Fenix’s recycled grades have borne in mind is that the manufacturers of blow moulded tanks are reputed to be using recycled materials. In fact, virtually all plastic component manufacturers use recycled material if that is possible.
Fenix’s model appears to be gathering momentum.
“We want to be a solutions supplier to roto moulders, not only a material supplier,” Werner concludes.
