Nampak Liquid Cartons has partnered with Fibre Circle and Infinite Industries to provide the SPCA Roodepoort Krugersdorp in South Africa with roof sheets made from recycled cartons, aiming to provide a safer and more comfortable shelter for the animals.
Part of the Eco-Paws initiative, the donation replaces the old asbestos roof sheets. Last year, the three companies also collaborated on a project to turn recycled cartons into school desks.
Nampak says that according to the United Nations Environment Programme, households in South Africa are estimated to produce about 12.7 million tonnes of domestic waste a year, with around 3.67 million tonnes failing to be formally collected and managed. It adds that this results in a ‘significant portion’ of this unmanaged waste being deposited in landfills or unlawfully incinerated.
Nampak states that considering the country’s growing waste crisis, it is ‘imperative’ to find solutions that reduce waste’s environmental impact and create value from discarded materials.
Apparently, the roofing sheets donated to the SPCA were created from almost 2,000 kilograms of post-consumer waste, specifically through the recycling of Poly Alu, a combination of polyethylene and aluminium found in beverage cartons. The sheets are said to be durable, weather-resistant and can be used for a variety of construction needs, hoping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.
The roofing sheets reportedly have waterproof and thermal insulation properties, aiming to help make the kennels cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and offer better shelter from elements such as rain. They are also said to be non-toxic and durable, requiring no further maintenance.
“Our cattery has been transformed into a safer, warmer, and brighter space for the cats and kittens in our care. This project is a wonderful example of how like-minded groups of people can work together to make a big difference for animals that have only seen the negative side of life,” says Mandi Cattanach, general manager of SPCA Roodepoort Krugersdorp.
“It’s initiatives like these that help to drive home the message that materials traditionally thought of as non-recyclable can be upcycled into new materials, and that we can prevent this waste from entering our landfills while at the same time benefitting our communities,” says Maggie Bozic Infante, co-founder of Infinite Industries.
In related news, last year Howard Wright, executive creative and strategic director EMEA & Canada at Equator Design, spoke to us about pet food packaging trends including personalisation, incorporating technology and health and wellness messaging.
More recently, Siegwerk announced it had applied its CIRKIT functional coatings to a mono-PE bag developed alongside Windmöller & Hölscher and B&B, designed to be a high-barrier, fully recyclable packaging solution for dry pet food. Both CIRKIT coatings are apparently solvent-based, fully deinkable after delamination and can be printed inline without sacrificing print performance.
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