AFTER establishing a decontamination plant in 2020, Zibo Containers finished the final part of the project in September by opening a washing plant across the street from its production facility in Saxenburg Park, Kuils River.

According to CEO Andre Smit, Zibo is bursting at the seams and the ideal solution would be to relocate to a site that is at least four times bigger than the current one. He explains that the washing plant is equipped with over 15 different machines. ‘Currently we’re running 10% thermoforms in the plant and would like to push it to 20% when the time is right.’

The infeed material at Zibo comprises post-consumer packaging collected by recyclers. Following a standard mechanical pre-sorting process, the infeed material is split across two dedicated sorting lines: one for PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and one for HDPE (high density polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene).

The sorting process consists of the infeed material being shredded, screened, washed and dried. Flake sorting is the final stage in the process and high-precision sorting is done with Tomra’s INNOSORT FLAKE optical sorting technology that combines colour and material sorting, reliably removing PVC, metals and opaque flakes.

Andre explains a generator is available to ensure the plant runs during load shedding and the plant also makes use of ‘recycled’ water not to waste water. ‘It was important for us to have a system in place to be able to reuse water by putting it through a filtering system.’

The post-consumer PET containers are processed into hot caustic washed and dried flakes.

The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP), which is part of the European Food Safety Authority, has approved Zibo’s application to recycle PET into new food and drink packaging. The recycled PET is intended to be used at up to 100% for thermoformed containers, such as trays, punnets and cups, for long-term food storage at room temperature with or without hotfill. These containers can be used for packaging fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, ready to go meals, pastas, salads, cold beverages, smoothies, cakes, confectionary and meat.

We’re running 10% thermoforms in the plant and would like to push it to 20% when the time is right.”

Woolworths is one of the retailers that will benefit from the plants. ‘Zibo Containers’ recent investments in these two plants is a huge boost for recycling in South Africa. These plants will reduce packaging waste to landfill, improve the circularity of our resources, which is critical for the planet’s survival

as well as create much needed jobs. But it is particularly exciting for us as it means that an additional 1 000 Woolworths semi-rigid PET thermoform foods packaging items can now be recycled. This recycled material can then be reused into the same semi- rigid PET thermoform packaging, so it is circularity at its best,’ explains Latiefa Behardien, Woolworths Foods’ chief technology and sustainability officer.