Following the success of various recycling projects over the past 11 years, the Polystyrene Association of South Africa (PASA) hopes to increase its collection and recycling rate of postconsumer polystyrene by establishing recycling hubs.

“These projects will enable us to increase polystyrene recycling in South Africa to 27 870 t/y by 2023, as the entire process is streamlined and centralised under one roof within a geographical area.

“Because the local community will be responsible for collecting and sorting the polystyrene, various primary and secondary jobs will be created, while, at the same time, also raising awareness of polystyrene recycling,” said PASA CEO Adri Spangenberg.

“During the 2017/18 financial year, about 6 300 t of polystyrene was successfully diverted from landfills. Considering how light polystyrene is, consisting 94% of air, it was a significant achievement,” she added.

Although various end-markets have been developed for recycled polystyrene, such as the production of picture frames, cornices and stationery, the biggest success has been achieved using recycled polystyrene in lightweight concrete solutions that are waterproof and fire resistant, and offer insulation against heat and cold, while being cheaper and easier to build with than traditional bricks or concrete.

Spangenberg mentioned in a statement last week that the biggest challenge in the recycling supply chain was getting the polystyrene out of the waste stream and to the recyclers on time and consistently.

There is a substantial and growing demand for the recycled material in South Africa and an abundant supply of polystyrene packaging material that can be recycled.

“However, the industry has been experiencing bottlenecks in various areas of this supply chain. A desperate need for material has necessitated that the industry address the logistical issues that are hampering the recycling of polystyrene.

“Much of our focus, energy and attention this past year has been on developing a workable, financially viable solution, which we submitted to government as part of our Industry Waste Management Plan,” said Spangenberg.

PASA, as a first step in dealing with the logistical challenges of recycling polystyrene, plans to establish Trading Hub Clusters.

“This is a centralised operation which streamlines the entire process by bringing polystyrene recycling under one roof within a geographical area, thereby relieving the pressure on waste management companies and government.

“In effect, we as an industry are driving the implementation of a feasible business, taking responsibility for polystyrene earmarked for recycling into a black economic empowerment entrepreneur managed operation,” Spangenberg explained.

She said the initial plan entails the establishment of three major Trading Hub Clusters in major metropolitan municipalities – the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The core focus of these clusters will be on facilitating the recycling of polystyrene in these provinces, ensuring a constant supply of materials for use in the decor markets, building markets, beads markets and PASA’s Breadtags for Wheelchairs and Tutu Desk projects.

“Although sales volumes will be determined by the capacity of each trading hub, it is estimated that the initial output per hub will be around 50 t a month. “However, this number must be increased since it is outstripped by demand.”

PASA has also developed a second initiative that will see small-scale municipal polystyrene recycling hub facilities for small to medium-sized municipalities located in outlying areas of the country.

Each municipal polystyrene recycling hub will integrate the collection and recycling of polystyrene into a usable form. Lightweight cement blocks and screed will be manufactured on site, which will be used to build houses and clinics in each district.

“The lack of affordable housing and the need to create employment for communities are two of the biggest socioeconomic needs facing South Africa today. Combined with South Africa’s mounting waste crisis and need for proper waste infrastructure that needs to be developed, local municipalities are facing a great challenge.

“However, we believe these recycling hubs will play an important role in growing the polystyrene recycling value chain and will provide much-needed job creation, transformation and recycling initiatives at community level.

“In effect, it will bring the solution of polystyrene recycling to the people at grassroots level and will empower them to improve their living standards and quality of life by being able to produce the material needed to address the housing crisis in their immediate area,” Spangenberg pointed out.

Plans to implement these recycling hubs are already under way. PASA has met with selected municipalities to test and discuss the implementation of pilot projects.

“We will launch our first pilot of a polystyrene recycling hub in partnership with the George municipality, in the Southern Cape, later this year.