Ecosystems presentation for farmers agricare workshop 2014

CHEMICAL DRUM RECYCLING PRESENTATION

WHO IS ECOSYSTEMS?• We are a long standing Enviro company

based in Empangeni and operating for the past 13 years

• We specialise in the following:-

• Integrated waste management plans

• Waste management and recycling

• Plastics recycling and processors

• Enterprise and contractor development

• Training- organics, waste recycling, composting, etc.

WHAT PLASTICS DO WE RECYCLE?

• Chemical drums and containers (HDPE)

• Oil drums and containers (HDPE)

• Gumboots and gloves ( PVC)

• Knapsacks and spray bottles

• Irrigation black pipes (HDPE)

• Fertiliser and bulk bags ( PP)

• White milk bottles ( HDPE)

• Bins, shopping trolleys, crates, etc. (HDPE and PP)

• Some farmers are selling drums to staff for water storage

• Some farmers using them as buckets for watering livestock

• Some farmers are burning the drums as a disposal solution (toxic fumes)

• Very few farmers are actually “Triple Rinsing” their drums

• Some drum recyclers in KZN using product for human consumption products ( basins, plates, spoons, etc)

• Many fly-by-night operators that are not registered

THE CHALLENGE REGARDING CHEMICAL DRUMS IN SA

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT OUR PROCESS• Collections

• Sorting into plastic types and colours

• De- labelling

• Cutting into half pieces

• Washing

• Storage into bags, delivery to factory

• Cut into pieces

• Granulating

• Bagging

• Weighing

• Load requirement- 750 x 20l drums

• Collections over 250 drums direct collection from farm

• Collect from drum depots at Coastals, TWK, FarmAg and FAC

• On request or scheduled monthly

COLLECTIONS

WASHING PROCESS

• Colour sorted ( white, clear, red, blue, green)

• Labels removed by hand

• Cut in half to get access to inside drum

• 1st Rinse- Concentrate removal with 500ml water (re-used in agriculture)

• 2nd Rinse- Rinsed fresh water (re-used)

• 3rd Rinse- Washed outside to remove grime

• Placed into large bag for storage and sent to factory for processing

• Drums are cut into small pieces

• Pieces fed into Granulator and result in 6mm pieces

• Product in bagged

• Sold to processor -injection moulder for manufacture of electrical components

FACTORY PROCESSING

WHAT IS OUR PLASTIC USED FOR?

• HDPE- white: electrical fittings and components

• HDPE- green: wall plugs

• HDPE-clear: electrical DB blanks

• HDPE-black: bins, manhole covers

• No human used utensils

Avoid this section!

WHERE WILL WE GET OUR WASTE?

• Municipal dumps/landfills (pickers)

• Collection from businesses in Empangeni/Richards Bay (supply bag racks, bags and drums)

• Chemical industry in KZN (chemical drums)

• Forestry (chemical drums, fert bags)

• Sugar Industry ( fert bags, chemical drums, gumboots)

• Sugar Mills (PP bags, LD Liners, HD packaging)

• SAB and ABI (old crates)

• Irrigation Companies (old pipes)

• Farmers Agri-care

• FarmAg

• Coastal Farmers

• TWK

• Silvix (Forestry)

• Mondi

• Sappi

• Siyakhubeka

• DoEA – WFW Project

• AVCASA

WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS

• Empangeni

• Kwambonambi

• Mtunzini,

• Mtubatuba

• Monzi

• Gingindlovu

• Nkwaleni

• Stanger

• Tongaat

• Umhlali

• New Hanover

• Amatikulu

• Pietermaritzburg

• Vryheid

• Pongola

• Hluhluwe

• Mkhuze

• Paulpieterburg

• Melmoth

• Eshowe

• Greytown

• Dalton

• Port Shepstone

• Eston

WHAT TOWNS ARE WE OPERATING IN?

• Members of the Institute of Waste Management of SA

• Registered with the Dept. of Env. Aff. As waste recycler

• Registered with AVCASA as a official drum recycler in KZN

REGULATIONS AND CERTIFICATION

• Triple rinsed

• Dried out and cut into 4 pieces

• Use services of AVCASA registered drum recycler

• Triple rinsed cannot be stored for more than 3 months

• Recyclers are not obliged to collect containers from farms

• Recyclers are not obliged to pay for the containers

AVCASA’S DRUM DISPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

• AVCASA to assist in education and awareness campaign.

• Identify problem brand and report to distributors, who in turn will pass on to suppliers

• Centralised depots (750drums) make trip viable

• Issue a disposal certificate to farmers when we collect drums. If delivering to a central depot then depot will get certificate

• Triple rising not done

• Labels difficult to remove on some drums

• Collection distances up to 300km

• Require centralised depots to collect drums

• Dept. of Labour checking on farmers drum disposal procedures

SOME CHALLENGES IN THE GAME

Challenge Solutions

• All farmers to receive a certificate of responsible disposal ( direct collections only)

• Farmers delivering to drop-off points, certificate is given to the depot agent *( i.e. Farmers Agri-care) If asked what you do with your drums, then they are referred to Depot who has a certificate and name appears on a register.

• This register allows FAC to monitor collection progress.

CERTIFICATE OF RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL

Thank you for making the

commitment and the support in this

venture