4 minute read
The key to long-lasting plastic pipes and fittings
PIPA says pipes are long-life products made from materials engineered to be robust, reliable, and recyclable.
Plastic pipes and fittings have transformed the way we live, delivering essential services and utilities to our homes and communities.
Across a range of industries, from civil and domestic infrastructure to agriculture, mining and gas, plastic pipes and fittings play a critical role. They’re effective, efficient, and safe.
The Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA) was founded in 1999 and is the peak industry body representing manufacturers and suppliers of plastic pipes and fittings, plastic resin suppliers, fabricators, pipeline installers, rubber seal ring manufacturers along with training and certification bodies.
As a non-profit association, PIPA works to promote the appropriate and contemporary use of plastic pipes and fittings throughout Australia. This is achieved through its four key pillars: advocacy, education, technology and sustainability.
Executive General Manager Cindy Bray says that by collaborating with its members, industry professionals and global counterparts, the company leverages the latest insights and technology to develop robust guidelines for best practice manufacture, installation, and use of plastic pipeline systems.
“Underpinning our approach is a commitment to future-focused leadership. Through research, education, technical expertise, and advocacy, we help advance the use of plastic pipes and fittings as a smart, efficient, and sustainable solution,” she says.
Our sustainability story
Not all plastics are the same and too often plastics pipe systems are mistakenly put in the same category as single use plastics. PIPA and its members are acutely aware of the very real problem society faces with plastic pollution resulting from its inappropriate disposal, the growing pressure to reduce its reliance on short-lived, single-use products and the drive to increase levels of postconsumer and pre-consumer plastic recycling. To help educate across a wide range of audiences PIPA has developed key messages to tell its sustainability story.
Plastic pipe systems deliver essential everyday services and utilities
Have you considered the vital role plastic pipes play with human, social, economic, and environmental sustainability?
“They bring drinking water, gas and electricity to our homes and communities; protect the network of wires and cables that deliver internet and communication services; and are used in irrigation systems that are essential for growing food and carry away sewerage, rainwater and stormwater – protecting our communities,” Bray says.
Engineered products designed to last
Pipes are long-life products, not single use, made from materials engineered to be robust, reliable, and recyclable. Plastic pipes can have a service life longer than 100 years, making engineered polymer materials the prefect choice for infrastructure applications. Plastic pipes are a durable product remaining functional without excessive maintenance or repair. Testing of pipes that have been in service for decades has shown that the properties and performance remain unchanged over the long term. Unlike many plastic packaging applications which have multiple layers of different materials, plastic pipes are made from a single material and therefore easier to recycle.
Safe for people and planet
Plastic pipes provide the highest level of safety for carrying drinking water. They don’t contain phthalates or heavy metals and are manufactured to Australian Standards.
Plastic pipes are made from a single material and are easier to recycle.
Offering clear advantages in terms of chemical resistance over the other pipe options, plastic pipes are not affected by soil environments that are corrosive to metals and concrete. Plastic pipes do not end up as pollution in our oceans and waterways, they will not corrode like other pipe materials, and they do not contribute to microplastics in the environment. Compared to other pipe materials, plastic pipes have the lowest failure rate for pressure water applications.
The smart choice, using resources responsibility and sustainability
Recycling rates remain low for plastic pipe entirely because of its longevity. Most plastic pipes currently in use are still in their first life cycle.
Plastic pipes are easily recyclable into new pipes when they reach end of life. The production plants are clean and efficient with processes designed to reuse the minimal scrap material to generate back into pipes or fittings.
Based on numerous Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, plastic pipes have a significantly better environmental profile than alternative pipe materials in all categories and across its whole lifecycle.
“Plastic pipes are now the preferred choice throughout the world to replace, upgrade and rehabilitate ageing pipeline infrastructure made from other materials. This is due to their performance, durability, service life, simplicity of installation, energy efficiency, recyclability, and cost effectiveness,” Bray says.
“Through the whole lifecycle – manufacturing, use and disposal – the plastic pipe industry has and will retain its long-standing commitment to improving sustainable practices and outcomes, in a way that benefits all Australians.” Australia’s vast landscapes require large-scale, special-purpose systems to move water, wastewater, gas and to protect underground networks of power and communication cables. Plastic pipeline systems are robust and long-lasting, providing reliability now and into the future.
PIPA represents manufacturers and suppliers of plastic pipes and fittings.
For more information about PIPA visit www.pipa.com.au Visit PIPA’s microsite to learn about the sustainability of plastic pipe systems www.pipa.com.au/sustainability
INTRODUCING
Market Leaders in Trenchless Technology. Yes, we’re direct.
If you’d like to know more about the potential of trenchless solutions including Horizontal Directional Drilling or Laser-Guided Microtunnelling for your next project, get in touch with a professional or visit our new website.
