Technology for the future

In a first for Africa, Polyco is investing in new innovative recycling technology that will convert unrecyclable plastic into eco-concrete.

he South African plastics recycling

Tsector has come a long way with improved technology, better implementation of waste regulations, greater consumer awareness and growth in the market for recycled materials. However, despite these developments, there have always been plastic material streams that are difficult to recycle and therefore end up in landfill or, unfortunately, the environment.

Seeking a solution to repurpose unrecyclable and/or difficult to recycle plastic packaging, Polyco PRO NPC, a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) in South Africa that represents and promotes the recycling of all plastic packaging, has provided a R7 million, interest-free loan to the Centre for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC).

CRDC will be using the funding to purchase machinery for its plant in Cape Town, which converts unrecyclable and/or difficult to recycle plastic into eco-aggregate that is then used in the building and construction sector.

RESIN8 technology

CRDC is a global company with its roots in Costa Rica. It was founded by Donald Thomson in 2010, as a volunteer-based beach cleanup programme, and is presently recognised internationally for its contributions towards sustainable product design.

CRDC comprises a diverse, multidisciplinary group of experts in the packaging and food/ beverage industries, conservationists and award-winning designers working to create products, industrial processes and economic models that provide economic, social and environmental benefits.

The company also operates in South Africa, with a pilot plant based in Cape Town. Through its net-zero-focused business model, REAP (Recover – Enrich – Appreciate – Prosper), CRDC has created collaborative relationships between diverse industries, where the waste stream of one can become the value stream for the next.

RESIN8 is a process that can turn any plastic – dirty or clean, and in any form – into concrete modifier. The end results from this process are environmentally friendly products that incorporate regenerated waste plastics, which would otherwise be destined for landfills.

The CRDC designed this innovative solution to use commonly mismanaged plastic waste and convert it to an eco-aggregate called RESIN8. Through various initiatives and collection schemes, CRDC accepts all plastics.

The production of RESIN8 therefore contributes to increased recycling rates in South Africa and creates an output product that meets the acceptable building standards and is welcomed by the construction sector.

“One of the greatest challenges of the plastics and recycling sector has been finding a solution to repurpose and to reintegrate difficult to recycle plastics into the economy,” says Patricia Pillay, CEO at Polyco.

“Our focus is to make waste a valuable resource, keeping all plastics out of the environment through investing in recycling infrastructure. CRDC’s RESIN8 solution will divert thousands of tonnes of plastic that would have gone to landfill, or have landed up in the environment, but will now instead supply the construction sector with a high-quality eco-aggregate to be used in the production of various concrete products.”

To produce RESIN8, waste plastic is first shredded and then mixed with mineral additives. The mixed material is fed through an extruder to produce RESIN8, which is then granulated into a concrete aggregatelike material. The RESIN8 granules are used as a replacement for natural aggregates in the concrete mix used in the production of a multitude of concrete products.

To date, RESIN8 has been used towards the construction of 700 houses in Costa Rica; in South Africa, it has been used in three largescale residential buildings in Khayelitsha and about 2 000 m of roadside kerb and channels on various projects in Cape Town.

Big plans for SA

This RESIN8 plant in Cape Town will be the first of its kind in Africa, and only the third plant in the world.

“Our goal is to complete the construction phase before the year end and to be fully operational from March 2023,” says Abraham Avenant, CEO at CRDC South Africa.

“Once operational, the plant will be able to process 610 tonnes of plastic waste per month into RESIN8.”

To determine the viability of RESIN8 as a construction aggregate, multiple concrete manufacturers partnered with CRDC’s South African team to test RESIN8 in building blocks, maxi bricks, pavers, kerbs, channels and concrete pipes.

Using RESIN8 decreases weight, increases or maintains strength, and increases the thermal properties of concrete bricks and blocks, which adds additional environmental benefits.

“The Cape Town RESIN8 plant has been designed to be scalable and we aim to increase our production to 1 220 tonnes of plastic waste per month. Our ambition is to replicate the Cape Town RESIN8 plant in a further two cities before the end of 2023,” concludes Avenant.

KEY BENEFITS OF RESIN8

The porous composition and gradation of RESIN8 improves both the mechanical and chemical bond to cement. It has numerous key benefits, which include:

Within concrete and construction:

• increases strength • 8% to 16% decrease in weight (with 5% or 10% RESIN8) • increases thermal properties • same fire resistance as with standard concrete • reduces cement industry’s carbon footprint.

Environmentally:

• supports and grows the UN’s Sustainable

Development Goals • reduces carbon footprints by eliminating plastic to landfill and plastic pollution • all types of plastic can be regenerated into RESIN8 – no separation required • supports zero waste to landfill, extended producer responsibility and government programmes or initiatives.

Social and economic:

• SMME and job creation from waste plastic collection, plastic shredding and transport • cleaner cities and healthier environments • helps support the building of better housing with a product that benefits the environment and society.