Turning Junk Into Treasure KZN-based company Enviro Timbers has been converting plastic waste into recycled plastic outdoor furniture since 2013. Owners Alan and Heid Boyd source plastic waste locally and transform it into aesthetically pleasing and functional ‘timber’, from which they manufacture a wide range of outdoor furniture.
“Just one of our 2-seater garden benches contain around 1200 milk/ detergent bottles.” Enviro Timbers sources local HDPE/ LDPE and PP/BOPP plastic waste that includes plastic from shampoo bottles, plastic bags, chip packets and milk bottles. Plastic is sourced from recycling companies, landfill sites, street traders, schools and other organisations, such as SPCA. This plastic arrives in bales or bags and is sorted into different categories and colours. The plastic is then ground into flakes, washed, dried, mixed and extruded into planks.
“Just one of our 2-seater garden benches contain around 1200 milk/ detergent bottles. Our 6-seater picnic table contains around 4000 milk/ detergent bottles,” explains Alan. “We are continuously developing new products, and almost any furniture made of wood can now be made from recycled plastic timber.” Enviro Timbers has initiatives with Durban and Midlands schools and organisations where they swop plastic for furniture, something that is encouraging youngsters to start recycling from an early age. An example of this is the Kloof SPCA, with whom they’ve been working for many years, educating the local community to take all their HDPE plastic to the SPCA. They in turn pay for this plastic, enabling them to pay for food for the animals there.
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