DPI Plastics will sponsor the inaugural African Marine Waste Network (AMWN) Conference in 2017 as its lead Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project. A leading manufacturer of PVC and HDPE water reticulation and drainage pipe and fitting systems, DPI Plastics is a key supporter of AMWN’s activities related to reducing marine waste and debris threatening South Africa’s coastlines and marine life.
The AMWN was launched in July 2016 by the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST), Plastics SA and other partners in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. The network is the first dedicated approach to address marine waste at a pan-African level.
Plastics SA, of which DPI Plastics is a key member, represents all sectors of the South African plastics industry, including polymer producers and importers, converters, machine suppliers, fabricators and recyclers. It plays an active role in growing the industry and addressing all plastics-related issues.
“Further to our conservation efforts, we are also looking internally at our products and how to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible,” DPI Plastics Marketing Manager Martine Goodchild comments. This resulted in the manufacturer’s latest product innovation, Ultrapipe, in which the virgin inner core of a multilayer pipe is replaced with a recycled inner. “Ultrapipe is a more material-, resource- and energy-efficient product when compared to its SANS 1601 predecessor,” Goodchild notes.
DPI Plastics produces more than 40 000 t of product a year for the plumbing, building, civil construction, mining and irrigation sectors. It is a member of the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) and the Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA).
“We are committed to best practice in terms of PVC use, with responsible recycling programmes and increased use of organic materials, in terms of which stringent targets are set and audited annually,” Goodchild concludes.