Retail News South Africa

Manufacturers should apply a 'cradle-to-grave' approach

The key to reducing rubbish in SA, says MD of MPact Plastic Containers (MPC), Loutjie de Jongh, is for manufacturers to apply a "cradle-to-grave" approach to their products.
Manufacturers should apply a 'cradle-to-grave' approach
© lopolo – 123RF.com

MPC, which produces a range of "multi-trip, reusable" crates, jumbo bins and wheelie bins in factories in Atlantis in the Western Cape and Brits in the North West, has invested more than R20m in recycling. Expansion of its Brits plant will see recycling capacity increase from five to 24 tonnes a day.

MPC not only collects damaged crates from clients for recycling, it also reincarnates old wheelie bins into "¦ new wheelie bins. Last year, the company and the City of Cape Town won the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation Trophy for Recycled Product of the Year for the 240l Fifty/50 Wheelie Bin in the Recycled Content Category.

The Fifty/50 Wheelie Bin is made of 50% new material and 50% recycled material that comes from old and/or damaged wheelie bins.

Packaging company MPC believes there's a link between sustainability and profitability.

"Recycling is everyone's responsibility. We aim to create packaging that maximises environmental performance without compromising customer satisfaction, while improving environmental efficiency," says Rowan le Roux, sustainability manager for rigid plastic packaging manufacturer, Polyoak Packaging.

The company has implemented training to educate its employees about the importance of recycling. It recently celebrated Clean-up & Recycle SA Week with more than 500 employees and their families volunteering to collect litter in communities in which Polyoak Packaging operates.

Source: Business Day

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