Polyflor SA and Innovative Pvc Compounds (IPC), both members of the Southern African Vinyls Association(SAVA), joined hands recently to ensure that 7.5 tons of vinyl floor off-cuts are collected, of which 6 tons were recycled, following an installation at the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital – a new R3bn hospital in KwaMashu that is scheduled to open its doors by December 2019.

About the project
The 500-bed regional hospital named in the honour of Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, one of the first black lawyers in South Africa and a founding member of the African National Congress (ANC), is the largest hospital currently in development in South Africa.  It is situated near Bridge City Mall (a new mixed-use precinct that serves as a business, commercial and transportation hub for the eThekwini Municipality) and will be amongst the largest public healthcare facilities in the country once it is completed. The new development forms part of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health Hospital Revitalisation Programme. It will provide 1.5 million people living in KwaMashu, Inanda, Ntuzuma and surrounding communities in the northern Durban catchment area with a full spectrum of medical services.

The power of networking
Polyflor SA, one of South Africa’s leading suppliers of vinyl sheeting and luxury vinyl tiles to the healthcare-, retail-, education- and commercial industries, was awarded the contract to supply more than 35 000 m² of vinyl sheeting at the hospital. Polyflor SA  launched  the country’s only official programme that recycles vinyl sheeting off-cuts generated during installations in 2016. The company’s contractors are given specially branded recycling bags in which they place the off-cuts, in order to be returned to the company’s head office in Sebenza, Johannesburg, for weighing and recording and collection by recyclers.  “Upon hearing of our involvement in the project through our networking at SAVA and given the fact that it was literally taking place on their doorstep, IPC offered to assist us with the recycling of the off-cuts at their premises,” comments Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA. “Their involvement in this project made the entire process considerably shorter and easier to manage”.

Stepping out and stepping up
IPC is a family-run vinyl compounds supplier based in Durban. Established in 2010, they are one of the PVC compounders who supply their products nationwide, as well as internationally, for the manufacturing of footwear, safety shoes, gumboots, wire coating, floor tiles, electrical and plumbing fittings, for the moulding and extrusion industries.  “Although recycling of vinyl products is not a core focus of our business, we do encourage our customers to allow us to reprocess any, if not all, of their off-cuts in view of maintaining a sustainable environment. Vinyl floor off-cuts are a valuable source of clean, top quality material that holds high recycling value. For this reason, we were eager to assist Polyflor by collecting, reprocessing and recycling the material at our facility in Phoenix Industrial Park in Durban, before supplying it back into the industry as compounds for the footwear sector”, explains Mubeen Siddiqi, CEO and Director at IPC.

State of PVC recycling in SA
Adri Spangenberg, CEO of the Southern African Vinyls Association, applauded both companies for their pro-active approach and supporting the industry to reach its recycling targets.  https://www.pressportal.co.za/2938150d-64a9-4ae9-90e7-2b2c64a393a4" width="213" height="140" />“PVC recycling in South Africa has seen 16.4 % year-on-year growth in during 2018, whilst the virgin consumption increased 2.3 % in the same period.  20 778 tons of PVC were recycled in South Africa, of which 80 % was flexible and 20 % rigid vinyl products. Because the recycling process does not measurably decrease the chain length of PVC molecules, vinyl products can be recycled repeatedly up to 8 times - depending on the application. For this reason, the vinyls industry has been working very hard to boost collection of waste,  optimise recycling technologies and boost the percentage of recyclate in new products,” she says.  Footwear continues to be the biggest market application (43%) for recycled, flexible PVC, followed by pipes (23%), flooring and cables (both 12%). Other applications for recycled PVC include speed bumps, traffic cones, gum boots, vehicle heel mats and rubber edging used around pet bowls.

Plans for future collaboration
Both Polyflor SA and IPC agree that the project was a huge success and that they are eager to collaborate on similar projects in future.  “It is Polyflor’s vision to minimise carbon emissions as much as possible, as well as being socially and economically responsible. Partnering with IPC on this recycling project enabled us to deliver an additional service to the client that was greatly appreciated. It also saved us time, money and kept our carbon footprint as small as possible because the materials did not have to be transported up to Gauteng for reprocessing. It is also hugely encouraging to know that the valuable material was effectively recycled and continued to add value in its second life!”, Tandy concludes. 

Reduced downtime and less subfloor preparation with the adhesive-free, loose lay safety flooring for heavy traffic areas

The Polysafe QuickLay PUR Collection is the latest offering to be launched in South Africa by Polyflor SA, specialists in vinyl flooring and wall protection solutions.

Adhesive-free, easy to install and slip resistant

Polysafe QuickLay is a loose lay safety flooring designed for adhesive-free installation and is the perfect solution for busy commercial environments in need of a quick turnaround and where sustainable slip resistance is a priority.  According to Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA, Polysafe QuickLay can be used as a temporary or permanent floor covering and achieves the same performance and durability as other Polysafe flooring collections, but with the added benefit of being adhesive-free.

“This is a very practical choice for contractors and specifiers alike and was developed by Polyflor in response to a growing need for loose lay flooring solutions that would save installation time, eliminate the need for adhesives and make future replacement easier, yet still offer sustainable slip resistance required from a safety floor,” she says.

Vinyl floors that can be installed on newly laid concrete floors

When installing QuickLay, subfloor preparation is considerably reduced as it can be laid directly over a variety of existing floor coverings, including new concrete substrates of up to 97% RH. The specially studded formulated Studded Emboss works as a barrier and allows moisture to escape from the subfloor.  The QuickLay system simply works by applying the specially designed QuickLay tape provided around the perimeter of the room, underneath seams and doorways, securing the flooring in place.  After thermal welding the installation is suitable for immediate traffic. (As an added value offer, Polyflor is supplying 2 rolls (25 linear metres each) of QuickLay Tape free of charge with each full roll of QuickLay purchased, ensuring there is enough tape supplied as standard, to fit almost all installations! If necessary, further tape can be purchased at an additional cost.)The adhesive-free installation also promotes excellent indoor air quality and low VOC emissions, which leaves a healthy environment that can be used straight away.

Dementia friendly

The Polysafe Quicklay PUR Collection is available in a tonal colour bank of 12 contemporary shades with a matt surface finish, making it suitable for dementia friendly environments.  The University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) – a UK-based international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people living with dementia - has accredited the full collection with its plain and tonal decoration.

Conclusion

Suitable for use in heavy commercial and residential environments in need of a quick turnaround and where sustainable slip resistance is a priority, the Polysafe QuickLay features the exclusive Polysafe PUR reinforcement for optimum appearance retention and superior cleaning benefits.  more 2/…quicklay two It can be used in commercial, residential and educational areas (front or back of house) and is ideal for circulation and heavy traffic areas where there are risks of water spillage and other contaminants, such as corridors, dining areas and cafes, classrooms, hospital wards, clinics, laundry and sluice rooms, nursing homes, washrooms, WCs, bar serveries, food preparation areas, kitchens and canteens. It conforms to EN 13845 and 50,000 cycles abrasion test and sustainable wet slip resistance is assured throughout the guaranteed life of the product. 

For more information, visit www.polyflor.co.za

The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) has welcomed Plastichem (Pty) Ltd as the latest PVC role player to join the association.

Gauteng-based Plastichem acts as agent, distributor and specialist value added service provider of raw materials in the plastic and rubber industries and was acquired by Brenntag in December 2015, following the signing of a sales purchase agreement.

“Our product portfolio has expanded and now includes product offerings into the PVC market. To this end, we felt it was important to become a member of SAVA in order to gain more insight into this market and contribute to the objectives outlined by its Product Stewardship Commitment,” says Dean Delaporte, Business Unit Manager for Plastichem.

Delaporte says that they became acquainted with SAVA and the work the association does during the course of their active involvement in the plastics and rubber industry over the past 16 years.“Belonging to SAVA offers us valuable networking opportunities with fellow leaders and role players in the local PVC industry, and provides us with a platform for sharing ideas and gaining access to information that will enable us to stay on top of developments impacting our industry. I believe SAVA provides us with the opportunity to become an even more active player within the market,” Delaporte said.

“We are thrilled that Plastichem has decided to join SAVA. We have seen exciting growth in our membership over recent months and are grateful for the trust the leading suppliers and manufacturers of PVC products are placing in us. By giving us their vote of confidence, they are mandating SAVA to act on their behalf and strengthening our voice and our influence as we actively strive to create consumer confidence within the industry as well as develop and sustain markets for PVC,” concluded Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of SAVA.

For more information on Plastichem (Pty) Ltd visit www.plastichem.co.za

For information on SAVA, visit www.savinyls.co.za