SA POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

Page 33

engines of Western Cape’s economic growth Turning trash into trash bags Tuffy was the first organisation in the country to be certified for using 100% recycled material in its refuse bags (75% of the recycled content postconsumer waste) and the first to receive accreditation from an international product verification company to verify the claim 100% recycled. Tuffy also produces regular grocery carrier bags, for various retailers, using recycled material – initiatives which have substantially increased the use of recycled content in the plastic industry. These days Tuffy, on average, recycles an astonishing 544 311kg of plastic per month.

NEWS TUFFY-.indd 31

chosen to outsource to the Asian continent, we’ve remained committed to supporting South African livelihoods and job creation,” concludes Murray. After the visit to Tuffys pioneering manufacturing plant, Premier Winde said: “The Western Cape Government has identified jobs as one of our key focus areas in our recovery plan. Local manufacturing and the green economy are important drivers of job creation and we welcome businesses that are committed to local manufacturing, making our province greener and which contribute to the employment and dignity of the people of the Western Cape.”

31

www.tuffy.co.za

Tuffy, on average, recycles an astonishing 544 311kg of plastic per month

DEC 2020 / JAN 2021

Keeping all production on local soil Western Cape Premier Alan Winde visited Tuffy’s manufacturing plant in Stikland in November. The company has been part of the economic life of the province, since its inception in 1986. While some of its peers chose to move their production offshore, Tuffy has remained firmly invested in South Africa’s economic development as a key provider of jobs and advancing skills development; currently maintaining a 300 strong workforce located at its two operational plants in Bellville and Stikland. Tuffy has nurtured high quality homegrown manufacturing talent – developing

its own customized machinery and production methods ensuring South Africa’s natural resources are protected in the process too. The Premier’s visit highlights the challenges posed by plastic waste and particularly the advancement of the Green Economy on government’s agenda. The Premier gained insights into the customized strategies, technological advances and process that have made Tuffy worldrenowned for its use of recycled plastic content, and had far reaching positive impact on the local plastics sector. The occasion of the Premier’s visit couldn’t be better timed, as his administration recently marked the anniversary of GreenCape, the Western Cape’s green economy sector development agency, which he launched a decade ago that has since facilitated R41 billion worth of investment into the South African green economy, supporting the creation of many direct green jobs. “Having gone the distance in terms of withstanding difficult market circumstances in the local manufacturing environment, and when so many have

Douglas Greig (head of manufacturing & supply chain at Tuffy), Premier Alan Winde & Stefan Rabe (group CEO Bounty Brands)

2020/11/26 11:26


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.