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Plastics SA Hosts Successful General Plastics Industry Meeting: A Pivotal Event For The Future Of The South African Plastics Industry

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Plastics SA Hosts Successful General Plastics Industry Meeting: A Pivotal Event For The Future Of The South African Plastics Industry:

Plastics SA, the umbrella body representing the local plastics industry, successfully hosted a General Plastics Industry Meeting at its head office in Midrand, Johannesburg, on November 30, 2023. The hybrid meeting witnessed enthusiastic participation from representatives spanning various sectors of the South African plastics industry.

The meeting commenced with a warm welcome from Deputy Chairman of the Plastics SA board of directors, Thokozani Masilela from the Department of Trade and Industry, setting the stage for the insightful discussions that followed. Plastics SA Executive Director Anton Hanekom provided a comprehensive review of the industry’s activities over the past year, emphasizing the crucial role plastics play in modern society, including food storage, transportation, job creation, and economic expansion.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the challenges posed by the ongoing power supply interruptions in South Africa. With the country’s power utility predicting two more years of load shedding, industry leaders stressed the urgent need for affordable and workable energy solutions to maintain competitiveness. The plastics industry aims to explore options like going off the grid, feeding power back into the grid, or incorporating renewable energy sources.

The meeting addressed the global spotlight on plastic waste in the environment, with a commitment from the industry to eradicate this issue through science-based strategies. Plastics SA representatives actively participated in international forums, including the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution and COP27, emphasizing the industry’s commitment to combat climate change and promote sustainability.

Education on the importance of a circular economy and waste management system improvement emerged as key focus areas. Plastics SA is in discussions with local government, the private sector, and PRO/EPR organizations to develop an alternative waste management option, recognizing the broken waste management system as a barrier to effective recycling.

Kirtida Bhana (Head of Academy for Learning and Development), Douw Steyn (Sustainability Director), and Annabe Pretorius (Technical Operations Executive), provided detailed reports on milestones achieved and outlined future plans within their respective divisions.

The novel Plastics SA Board of Directors for 2023/2024 were also announced:

• Jeremy Mackintosh (Chairman) – PCA
• Thokozani Masilela (Deputy Chairman) – Government
• Gary Wiid – ARMSA
• Mike Meyers – EPSASA
• Malan Mudaly – Importers
• Gregory Schneider – Importers
• Debbie van Duyn – PCA
• David Rule – PISA
• Anton Hanekom – Plastics SA
• Jan Venter – SAPPMA
• Johann Conradie – SAPRO
• Imprint Berry – Safripol
• Gerome Marrian – Sasol Polymers

The meeting concluded with a lively Questions & Retort session, before breaking for a networking session and a finger lunch during which guests engaged in meaningful conversations, fostering collaboration within the industry. Plastics SA announced plans to host regular General Industry Meetings in 2024 to provide updates, address queries, and facilitate networking opportunities.

In the face of industry challenges, Plastics SA remains optimistic about the future, highlighting innovation as a driving force for resilience. The organization, along with its partners, is committed to promoting plastics as the material of choice and actively participating in global discussions to shape the industry’s future.

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Author: Keaoleboha Sefako from Aim Marketing & Communications Consultants.

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Ponte City: Transformation

As the “white flight” of the 1980s and 90s drained the inner city of capital, Ponte City underwent a dramatic and terrifying transformation. By the late 1990s, the building had become a “vertical slum” and a symbol of urban decay. It was famously “hijacked” by gangs; the retail levels were stripped, and the building became a fortress for drug dealing and human trafficking. The most haunting image from this era was the central core. Originally designed to be a light-filled courtyard, it became a literal trash heap. Residents on the upper floors would throw their refuse into the center of the building rather than taking it down. At its worst point, the trash in the core reached five stories high—a mountain of rotting debris, discarded furniture, and even, legend has it, the remains of those who had fallen or jumped.

During this period, the reputation of Ponte was so toxic that there was a serious proposal in 1998 to turn the entire skyscraper into a vertical prison. The plan was eventually scrapped, but the building remained a “no-go zone” for nearly a decade. The turnaround began in the mid-2000s when developers New Metro Property Group and later Dlala Nje began a massive, painstaking refurbishment. They cleared out the tons of trash from the core, restored the lifts (which had often been out of order, forcing residents to climb 50 flights of stairs), and implemented strict security protocols.