Surge in plastics production defies environmental backlash

Cheap shale gas has fed an investment boom in products that often end up as waste. Has the petrochemicals industry miscalculated? Along the banks of the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, giant cranes whir overhead as thousands of construction workers toil away at what will be one of the largest plastic factories in the world. Once complete, the citadel of smokestacks and pipeworks will churn out 1.6m tonnes a year of pellets for manufacturers in a wide range of industries. They will then make things such as shrink wrap, shampoo bottles and…

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Socially conscious’ manufacturer lands major contract with the Shoprite Group

DURBAN – Plastic manufacturing and recycling company, Verigreen, has been awarded a multimillion-rand contract to supply 25 different products under the Shoprite Group’s Ritebrand and Housebrand labels Owned by husband and wife team Mike and Thina Maziya and established in 2001, Verigreen has been manufacturing a range of drawstring refuse bags since 2012 and has expanded its range to include cooking, baking, freezing and food protection products. “We pride ourselves on being environmentally responsible and socially conscious, a brand which is doing well while doing good. The Housebrand and Ritebrand business…

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Hytec supplies turnkey 400-ton thermoplastic press for aerospace industry

Hytec Cape Town designed and constructed a 400 Ton Thermoplastic Press for composite materials supplier AAT Composites, a Recaro Group subsidiary based in Somerset West. The press is capable of deep-moulding composite materials up to 1 m2, used in the manufacturing of components such as seat pans and interior panels in the aerospace industry. Awarded over considerable competition from international manufacturers, Hytec, with the assistance of a local mechanical engineering company and an electrical company, was able to supply a complete, integrated press machine, a turnkey solution from a single…

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Polyco Brings International Expert to South Africa to Share Solutions on Marine Pollution

Considering the millions of tonnes of plastic and other discarded material that go from the land into the sea every year, it’s no wonder that there is no place in the ocean that is free of it. We need to respect the oceans and take care of them as if our lives depended on it, because they do.   This is according to world-renowned oceanographer and explorer, Dr Sylvia Earle who was brought to South Africa by Polyco to deliver the keynote address at the recently held inaugural African Marine…

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DPI FlowCalc app is now available for free download

Leading PVC and HDPE water reticulation and drainage pipe and fitting system manufacturer DPI Plastics has announced that its smartphone ‘DPI FlowCalc’ app is now available for free download from the Google Play and Apple App stores. This represents a first for the South African industry, DPI Plastics Technical and Product Manager Renier Snyman highlights. The app includes a calculator that can be used to determine friction loss, flow resistance, pipe size, and water delivery for pipelines under pressure. “Results can be emailed directly to the end user via their…

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