More than 35 of South Africa and the world’s top experts on issues relating to plastic piping, water infrastructure and engineering will be presenting at this year’s PIPES XI Conference – an annual event hosted by the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA). This year’s event will be unlike any other event the association has ever hosted and promises to be an unforgettable experience. “We are extremely privileged to be hosting our conference this year in conjunction with the Plastic Pipe Conference Association (PPCA). It will be a two-day event taking place on the 4th and 5th of September 2017 at Emperor’s Palace Convention Centre, conveniently located close to the OR Tambo Airport in Gauteng. In addition to the line-up of top national and international speakers we would normally have at our conference, this year’s PIPES XI also see at least 10 of the best papers which were presented at PIPES XVIII in Berlin last year, delivered to our local audience,” says Jan Venter, CEO of SAPPMA. Every two years, the PPCA plays host to the world’s biggest international pipe conference which takes place either in Europe or the USA. Venter explains that it is the first time in history that their spin-off conference, which is organised every alternate year, will be coming to South Africa. “The excitement over the event is tremendous. We have already sold an impressive amount of tickets and are hoping to have more than 300 delegates attending both days,” Venter says. As an added incentive, SAPPMA is offering an early bird booking discount of 10 % for all bookings and payments made online (www.pipesxiconference.co.za) before the 31st of May 2017. Topics that will be covered at this year’s event are varied, ranging from raw materials and additives to the life cycle and material design of plastic pipes. Installations, applications and rehabilitations as well as standards, testing and certification, and various case studies will also be …
Plastichem becomes latest member to join SA Vinyls Association
The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) has welcomed Plastichem (Pty) Ltd as the latest PVC role player to join the association. Gauteng-based Plastichem acts as agent, distributor and specialist value added service provider of raw materials in the plastic and rubber industries and was acquired by Brenntag in December 2015, following the signing of a sales purchase agreement. “Our product portfolio has expanded and now includes product offerings into the PVC market. To this end, we felt it was important to become a member of SAVA in order to gain more insight into this market and contribute to the objectives outlined by its Product Stewardship Commitment,” says Dean Delaporte, Business Unit Manager for Plastichem. Delaporte says that they became acquainted with SAVA and the work the association does during the course of their active involvement in the plastics and rubber industry over the past 16 years. “Belonging to SAVA offers us valuable networking opportunities with fellow leaders and role players in the local PVC industry, and provides us with a platform for sharing ideas and gaining access to information that will enable us to stay on top of developments impacting our industry. I believe SAVA provides us with the opportunity to become an even more active player within the market,” Delaporte said. “We are thrilled that Plastichem has decided to join SAVA. We have seen exciting growth in our membership over recent months and are grateful for the trust the leading suppliers and manufacturers of PVC products are placing in us. By giving us their vote of confidence, they are mandating SAVA to act on their behalf and strengthening our voice and our influence as we actively strive to create consumer confidence within the industry as well as develop and sustain markets for PVC,” concluded Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of SAVA. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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Polyflor SA welcomes new sales consultant
Polyflor SA is proud to welcome Sipho Zwane as a new sales consultant based at its Gauteng head office. Zwane grew up in Orlando West, Soweto and attended both his primary and secondary school in Eldorado Park. He completed his Bachelor of Business Administration at CIDA City Campus, majoring in Marketing Strategy and Human Resources. “I have a vibrant personality and enjoy rewarding challenges. I’m like a seed that grows remarkably well in the right soil. For this reason, I’m very excited about my new position, the new environment and the new team. There is a positive and vibrant energy at Polyflor, and it is great to be part of a group of flooring specialists that share the same values regarding customer service and excellence”, Sipho divulged. Prior to joining the Polyflor team, Sipho was employed as a sales consultant for Barloworld Equipment in Polokwane. In his new position, Sipho says he will be responsible for establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with clients in order to achieve and exceed targets - for both Polyflor and the client. Contact details for Sipho Zwane: Email: Sipho@polyflor.co.za Landline: 011 609 3500 Cell no: 0828874667 Web address: www.polyflor.co.za CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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The Mettle of Metal Packaging
The newly formed Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) tasked specifically with looking after the interests and recycling of steel, tin plate and aluminium packaging, MetPac-SA, says metal packaging is arguably one of the most reliable and versatile types of packaging used in South Africa and the world today. Multiple benefits “Metal packaging comes in a wide range of sizes – from a small can for tomato concentrate, to a steel drum for bulk tomato transport, and everything in-between. Despite holding a relatively small share of the total packaging market, factors such as innovation, new introductions and significant promotional activity are driving the ever-increasing demand for cans,” says Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of MetPac-SA. Bezuidenhout advocates that metal and aluminium cans are becoming increasingly popular as a packaging option, owing to the multitude of sizes, shapes and printing designs can be manufactured to individual customer requirements. “Innovation sells packaging and packaging sells products. The lightness of aluminium packaging helps to save resources during filling, product transportation, storage and the transportation of scrap at the end of a product’s life. Thanks to its unique attributes, cans act as food warehouses that have unrivaled shelf lives. They are able to protect their contents over many months, with no refrigeration, and therefore helps to save food, energy and prevent wastage. Furthermore, metal and aluminium cans are unbreakable, impact-resistant and puncture-resistant and able to withstand extreme temperatures and pressure,” she says. Growing market share “Although the market share for metal packaging has traditionally been relatively small (216.8 tonnes of 3 490.1 tonnes, according to the latest stats available to Packaging SA) we believe it is poised for growth as South Africans are increasingly choosing cans as the packaging material of choice when it comes to both their drinking, food and general …
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More than 4 tonnes of vinyl flooring diverted from landfill through new recycling initiative
Polyflor SA has recycled more than 4 tonnes of vinyl floor off-cuts since it launched the initiative at the end of last year, thereby allowing the local PVC industry to move forward with its sustainability goals as set out in SAVA’s (Southern African Vinyls Association) Product Stewardship Commitment. According to Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA, the company’s initiative to recycle off cuts generated during the installation of vinyl floors, has been widely welcomed and well-supported by installers. “Diverting these off-cuts from landfill and sending them off to recyclers for use in the manufacture of rigid and flexible products such as pipes, cables, shoe soles and car mats, is of great environmental significance. Good quality, clean materials that are void of any glues or substances can now be used to create new products with a useful service life instead of ending up in landfill or polluting the atmosphere,” Coleman says. According to SAVA CEO, Delanie Bezuidenhout, PVC manufacturers and consumers increasingly aim for the sustainable use of the product through all stages of its life cycle. “The promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act has placed great emphasis on recycling and the reduction of materials to landfill. To this end, SAVA and its members endeavour to create and participate in many community, industry and government programmes which are designed to ensure appropriate management of PVC products at the end-of-life. We applaud this initiative of Polyflor that not only helps to increase the awareness of the fact that PVC is recyclable, but also delivers tangible and impressive result in a very short time frame when it comes to collecting and recycling end-of-life PVC,” she says. Polyflor contractors receive specially branded bags for their vinyl floor off-cuts, which are then returned to the Polyflor SA head office for weighing and collection by recyclers. “Our aim is to increase our recycling rate by 100% by the end of …
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Rich booty of waste collected at 2017 SA Navy festival
The Plastics|SA Clean-Up crews were once again in action at this year’s SA Navy Festival that took place at the Simonstown harbour from the 17th to the 19th of March. According to John Kieser, Plastics|SA’s Sustainability Manager and coordinator of the clean-up crews, each year close to 50 000 people visit this event daily for the chance to see some of the country’s biggest naval ships and exhibitions on display. “This is a very popular festival that is always very well attended by members of the public. As a result, we find that it also produces the biggest variety of waste,” Kieser says. Large volumes of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), aluminium cooldrink cans and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) were sent away for recycling, whilst organic waste was sent away for composting to Noordhoek. “We managed to collect approximately 35 large bags of good quality polystyrene that were discarded in the form of take-away containers, but also protective packaging that was used around the ammunition and valuable items that were on display,” Kieser said. This material was delivered to a Cape Town based recycler who uses the post-consumer polystyrene in lightweight concrete used for building and construction applications. “Our sincere gratitude goes to the Plastics|SA Sustainability Council for the excellent work they are doing on the ground at these events by working closely with the clean-up crews, but also in manning the exhibition stands where they educate members of the public about the importance of recycling. Through their on-going, consistent and visible efforts, they bolster the recycling efforts of the various material recovery organisations (MROs) and help us to divert tons of valuable material from our country’s landfills,” says Adri Spangenberg, Director of the Polystyrene Packaging Council (PSPC). The final big sporting and spectator event on the Plastics|SA Clean-Up crew’s agenda for this month is the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon that will be taking …
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SA Vinyls Association welcomes Chembridge Additives as newest member
The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is pleased to welcome Chembridge Additives as new members. This specialist distributor of plastic additives is based in Pretoria, and began its operations in 2008 as the appointed agent for Lanxess Germany GmbH and Tanatex Chemicals GmbH - servicing a multitude of industries. “We provide plastics additives, phosphorus, specialty chemicals such as organic and inorganic colorants and surfactants to a very wide range of industrial sectors. Our focus is on the supply of high-quality additives and finishing chemicals for the plastic industry. These products improve the processability of ingredients and the properties of the end products. Our product portfolio includes flame retardants, plasticisers, bonding agents, blowing agents, and colourants. We distribute to all customers, big or small, in any quantity required throughout Southern Africa from our network of warehouses in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town,” explains Deon Steenkamp, owner of Chembridge Additives. Commenting on their motivation for joining SAVA, Steenkamp says that the Chembridge products and business philosophy align strongly with SAVA’s Product Stewardship Commitment (PSC). “We heard about SAVA and the excellent work they are doing through our customers. We wanted to be associated with such a strong industry body that is committed to representing its members’ interests in the Southern Africa region by creating consumer confidence within the industry and by actively developing and sustaining markets for PVC. We are very excited about the prospects SAVA membership will afford our business and look forward to the networking opportunities with other members, which would most definitely have a positive impact on our business,” he said. “SAVA is dependent on the backing and participation of its members, and we applaud Chembridge Additives for making the public commitment to sustainable practices by joining our ranks. By steadily growing our …
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15 Tonnes of recycled polystyrene used in construction of new Table Bay Mall
More than 15 tons of recycled, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) have already gone into the production of 20,000 Greenlite Concrete blocks used in the new Table Bay Mall that is currently being constructed. Expected to open its doors at the end of September this year, this 65 000 m² regional shopping centre is located on a 20 ha site on the corner of the R27 (West Coast Road) and Berkshire Boulevard in the heart of the rapidly growing West Coast area. Vivid Architects / Group Five Construction contractors are at the helm of the project, and specified Greenlight Concrete blocks for use primarily on the fire escape passages owing to the product’s excellent fire rating. “With climate change looming and the rising cost of energy, building contractors are looking at sustainable building options. Over the past 18 years, we have been involved in the manufacturing and installing of Alternative Building Technologies. We were looking for a more environmentally friendly way of implementing our insulated building systems, when we started experimenting with recycled polystyrene as the basis for our energy efficient walling systems,” explains Hilton Cowie, Technical Director of Greenlite. Greenlite’s Insulated Concrete is the culmination of more than 18 years’ of experience and research, the blocks consist of recycled polystyrene which is used as a lightweight aggregate mixed with cement and additives to form insulated, soundproof, fireproof, water-resistant lightweight concrete blocks and screeds that have already been used in various large, commercial projects such as the Trumpet Towers in Johannesburg, the BMW Pavilion and Zeits Museum in the V&A Waterfront, Baywest Mall in Port Elizabeth and the Gautrain Station in Sandton. “The developers were amazed at how quick and easy it was for them to build the walls using Greenlite blocks. Because these blocks are lightweight, they are easy to move around the site and the engineers saved weight loading onto the suspended concrete …
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SAVA Confirms Exciting Speakers for Vinyls SA 2017 Conference
The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is proud to announce that it has confirmed three of the world’s leading experts on PVC as speakers ahead of its Vinyl SA 2017 Conference that will be taking place on Wednesday, 7 June 2017 at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. According to SAVA CEO, Delanie Bezuidenhout, this year’s event will build on the success of the Association’s first Vinyl SA 2014 Conference that took place on the back of the Global Vinyls Council’s (GVC) first bi-annual meeting hosted on the African continent. “Our first conference attracted more than 100 delegates from around the country and as far afield as Argentina! Like the first event, delegates who will be attending this year’s event can again look forward to a full and varied programme of original papers and presentations by visiting international and local experts who will be sharing the stage and their expertise on various matters relating to manufacturing, use and recycling of PVC,” Delanie says. Local and international PVC experts share the stage “This year, we are pleased to confirm that several of the world’s leading experts will be returning to South Africa to present their latest findings and research as it relates to PVC,” Delanie says. Confirmed speakers for the Vinyls SA 2017 conference include: Peter Willis – Senior Associate, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) who will be delivering the key-note address on the day. Ian Lilja – of the Vinyl Council of Australia (VCA), who will be delivering an update on the VCA Product Stewardship Programme Dr Brigitte Dero – General Manager of the European Council for Vinyl Manufacturers and VinylsPlus, who will be providing an expert overview of the European Regulatory and Policy Context Gerhard Kuhn – Senior Economist at the IDC, who will be looking at the South African Economy and the various opportunities and challenges it presents for the local PVC industry. …
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PPCA Confirms spin-off conference and exhibition to take place in South Africa later this year
The Plastic Pipes Conference Association (PPCA) has announced dates and venue for its two spin-off conferences and exhibitions in South Africa and China for this year. The first event in South Africa will be held on 4 -5 September 2017 at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The second will be hosted in Hangzhou, China on 26-27 October 2017. The PPCA is organizing these events in close collaboration with the respective plastic pipe associations, namely the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) and the China Plastics Piping Association (CPPA). In South Africa, the conference will be held in conjunction with PIPES XI, the annual plastic pipes event organized by SAPPMA. At least ten papers will be included from the international Plastic Pipes Conference held in Berlin during 2016. For this reason, the duration of PIPES XI has been extended to two days. Zoran Davidovski, spokesman for the events forecasts large attendances. “Our industry is in a constant process of innovative change as it finds new solutions for replacing aging steel and concrete pipe systems. In the midst of these improvements, industry and government are faced with the need for new technical standards.” “Our conferences will showcase new developments and enable stakeholders to consider the international work that has been carried out in the field of standards, sustainability and experience. This will be particularly interesting for the South Africa and China markets.” The Baerlocher Group is one of the major sponsors of both regional conferences. Molecor and Rollepaal have also confirmed their sponsorship participation at the Johannesburg event. For South Africa, full details of program, registration, exhibition and sponsorship opportunities will be posted shortly on their website: www.sappma.co.za The CPPA will similarly publish the relevant information on: http://www.ppia-china.com/en/aboutme.asp?types=SQ CLICK HERE to submit your press release to …