Ecosystems presentation for farmers agricare workshop 2014

1. CHEMICAL DRUM RECYCLING
PRESENTATION

2. 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.

3. 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)

4. • 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

5. 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

6. • 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

7. 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

8. • 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

9. 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!

10. 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)

11. • Farmers Agri-care
• FarmAg
• Coastal Farmers
• TWK
• Silvix (Forestry)
• Mondi
• Sappi
• Siyakhubeka
• DoEA – WFW Project
• AVCASA
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS

12. • 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?

13. • 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

14. • 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

15. • 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

16. • 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

17. Thank you for making the
commitment and the
support in this venture