“Many consider plastic to be one of the natural environment’s biggest enemies, but John Kieser, sustainability manager at Plastics SA, is passionate about creating an environment where the natural world and man-made technology can coexist.

His interest in marine life and pollution started when the government appointed him as a fisheries inspector. He noticed that there was a lack of experiential training in the world of conservation: “Most of the environmental educators focusing on the marine and coastal area were very knowledgeable, but lacked experience in the field.”

Kieser brings this experience to his role at Plastics SA, where providing accredited training to the plastics industry is one of six core focus areas.

Plastic is affordable, decreases our carbon footprint and makes the 21st century technology we depend on possible.

“On the other hand, we as an industry need to ensure that if a product is manufactured in South Africa or is imported, it can be recycled.”

The sustainability section of Plastics SA leads a number of environmental projects: beach clean-ups, providing bins for fishing lines at angling spots, and Operation Clean Sweep, aimed at keeping plastic pellets out of the natural environment.”

“Sustainability is just another word for conservation, and conservation has always been mistaken for preservation. We do not protect just to ensure an aesthetically pleasing South Africa, but also so that we as humans live in harmony with our environment, not to the detriment of it.”

“The Friends of the Liesbeek is a non-profit organisation working tirelessly to preserve the environs of the Cape’s Liesbeek River. Founded in the early 90s by resident volunteers, FoL looks after the river, which runs through mixed-use urban areas.

The FoL team performs river clean-ups and alien species control, as well as leading environmental awareness outreach programmes and the development of the Liesbeek River Life Plan, a roadmap to
rehabilitate the river.

Sabelo Memani, Liesbeek Maintenance Project’s project manager, explains that urban rivers and their environs play a crucial role in climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and the health of the people located along it. With the employment of permanent workers by LMP, the Liesbeek River’s condition continues to improve and is being maintained as one of the best examples of an urban river project in South Africa. Memani explains that the Covid-19 pandemic has threatened their business model, which relies on funding, much of which has been lost owing to the financial pressures of lockdown.

The support FoL provides the local City of Cape Town is critical. FoL plans to offer skills development and training opportunities to people from previously disadvantaged communities.”

“Since the formal inception of the Liesbeek Maintenance Project (LMP) over 11 years ago, the condition of the Liesbeek River has continued to improve and it is often referred to as one of the best examples of how an urban river can be maintained in partnership between community-based groups, private funders and a local authority,” says Memani.

PETCO (PET Recycling Company NPC) was established in 2004 as an industry-driven and financed national recycling initiative. Its aim is to represent the South African PET plastic industry’s joint effort to self-regulate post-consumer PET recycling.

“PET” is the acronym for a versatile, sophisticated plastic called Polyethylene Terephthalate, which is used to make the most common container in the soft drink market today: the plastic bottle. PET is globally recognised as a safe, recyclable packaging material for food and non-food products. It is used for a wide variety of applications because it is safe, strong, shatterproof and chemically 100% recyclable into various PET products (such as fibre for duvets and pillows) and bottles, when basic design principles are followed.

Although the PET plastics industry acknowledges the convenience and life-saving qualities of plastics, a solution for post-consumer plastic packaging is critical in order to minimise its impact on the environment. PETCO views itself as a catalyst of design for recycling innovation, preserving the value of existing resources and utilising recycled PET in more and more applications.

PETCO estimates that more than 64 000 income opportunities are created every year through PET bottle recycling for small and micro-collectors. Plastic and other pollution are some of the biggest challenges currently facing the planet and the accumulation of plastic waste and other debris on land and its leakage into the sea is a growing, costly problem. Through PETCO and its members, 5.9 million bottles were collected for recycling every day in 2019, keeping them out of the environment and ocean where they do not belong.

The company raises awareness for the plastic pollution crisis by being involved in various ocean-conscious events such as the African Marine Network conference, and educating the public on the need for a circular economy.”