The winners of the annual Merit Awards were also announced , recognising the input and the effort of individual SAPPMA members . Renier Snyman ( DPI Plastics ), Ian Venter ( Marley Pipe Systems ), and George Diliyannis ( Safripol ) were awarded the 2016 Merit Awards for their and frequency of attending meetings .
Looking ahead , Venter emphasised that as times get tougher on the socio-economic front , the need for an effective association in the value chain of plastics pipe only increases . “ SAPPMA will continue to do all they can to improve the long-term viability of the plastics pipe industry in general and the members in particular .” u
SAPPMA
SAPPMA board members , from left : Brett Kimber , Jan Venter ( CEO ), Terence Hobson , Steve du Toit , Wally van Coller , and Bernhard Mahl ( chairperson ). municipalities news
Sustainable Water and Energy Seminar
The Sustainability Council of Plastics SA and DRA Global Engineering Consultants hosted a seminar entitled “ Preparing for an uncertain future ”, in which a panel of sustainability experts presented their thoughts on how companies could remain competitive in the face of the current economic downturn by implementing energy and water solutions .
The event took place at the end of last year and was attended by more than 30 guests , which included recycling companies , plastic manufacturers , energy consultants , and the media .
According to Jacques Lightfoot , sustainability manager of Plastics SA , energy and water solutions are of integral importance for the plastics industry . “ Resource efficiency is one of our key strategies . By hosting seminars such as these , we are fulfilling our mandate and facilitating an important link between service providers and the plastics industry , which needs guidance on how to remain competitive and profitable ,” he says .
Speakers at the seminar included journalist Chris Yelland , who presented on the topic “ Making sense of energy in a chaotic environment ”. Yelland was followed by Maggie Matumba and
Plastics SA
Some of the speakers at the event included , from left : Wynand van der Merwe ( NCPC ), Chris Yelland ( EE Publishers ), Gerard Grobler ( Solareff ), Jacques Lightfoot ( Plastics SA ), and Miquel de Santos ( DRA Global ).
Wynand van der Merwe of the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa — a national governmental programme that promotes the implementation of resource efficiency and cleaner production methodologies , to assist industry in lowering costs through reduced energy , water and materials usage , as well as waste management . u