New industry body to promote metal packaging, increase the market share and protect the industry of its members through stakeholder involvement MetPac-SA is the new Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) tasked specifically with looking after the interests and recycling of steel, tin plate and aluminium packaging.  Members of this non-profit association include raw material suppliers...

Nampak expands in key African markets Despite challenging macroeconomic headwinds causing a slowdown in consumer spending in many African markets in 2016, packaging company Nampak remains confident of the demographic fundamentals underpinning long-term packaging growth on the continent. While the company continues to be circumspect regarding capital investment, opportunities in a variety of...

Posted on Resource-Recycling.com on May 2, 2017 by Colin Staub Many municipalities struggle to find downstream uses for recovered glass, but one study offers a bit of hope for a modest new end market. University of California, Riverside researchers have successfully used a chemical process to utilize recycled glass bottles in producing anodes for lithium batteries. The method requires minimal...

A trend towards metal packaging that is easier to open is seeing manufacturers adapting their cans at a faster rate than ever before. In an effort to meet the needs of consumers who want more easy-open systems, the trend is currently towards reclosable cans as well as microwave-suitable and self-heating metal containers. Manufacturers are focusing not only on individualised shaping and...

NEW INDUSTRY BODY TO PROMOTE METAL PACKAGING, INCREASE THE MARKET SHARE AND PROTECT THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS THROUGH STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT Johannesburg, 11 April 2017. The South African packaging industry has welcomed the news that a new industry body has recently been formed to represent the interests of the metal packaging industry. Bringing Together the Metal Packaging Value Chain...

Recycling is a manufacturing process that needs to make money to be sustainable and economically viable. Plastics|SA executive director Anton Hanekom, says the plastics fraternity adopted the aspirational vision of sending Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2030 early in 2014. Industry associations, polymer groups and recyclers have been encouraged to unite their efforts to achieve these goals....

A South Africa-based self-lubricated polymer bearings and bushings manufacturer, Vesconite Bearings, is proud that lost packages are becoming a thing of the past.  This is following the introduction three years ago of shocking pink packaging colours for all its outbound shipments.  Pink Packaging Chairperson Dr Jean-Patrick Leger had found that parcels were frequently lost after hand-over from...

The ASTRX initiative from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and The Recycling Partnership recently released a one-page guide for packaging management decision-makers called “Navigating the Recycling System.” ASTRX, launched last September, stands for Applying Systems Thinking to Recycling. The tool breaks down the packaging recycling loop into five areas: manufacturing,...

A new study says that while water bottles have become more environmentally friendly over the years through lightweighting, factors such as labels and glue still can greatly impact their recyclability. Plastic Technologies Inc. of Holland, Ohio, is out with a new white paper after studying water bottles purchased in different parts of the world. Article posted on Plasticsnews.com, written...

Chinese customs authorities are inspecting every container entering the country at certain ports, causing longer shipping times. And some observers say the enforcement efforts could also be driving down recovered paper prices. The enforcement campaign, dubbed National Sword 2017, began in February and has been framed with a particular focus on plastics and scrap electronics. Last month,...