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.

Benefits of plastic timber

Plastic timber furniture outlasts regular timber, is rot- and algae-proof, splinterproof, easy to clean, low maintenance and 100% recyclable. Purchasing a recycled plastic timber product prevents huge amounts of plastic waste from ending up in rivers, beaches or landfill sites.

South Africa produces roughly 540 million tonnes of waste per year, 95% of which ends up in rubbish dumps and landfills, instead of recycling centres. A large percentage of this is plastic. If these materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw materials from the earth, through mining and forestry. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects natural habitats for the future.

Household recycling

Recycling in and around the home can be easy when you know how. Thinking carefully about what products you buy at the supermarket and how to recycle

them, is the first step towards efficient recycling.

Many materials can be recycled - paper, plastic, metal, glass, even furniture, electronic equipment, building materials and vehicles can be recycled, although many people do not think to do so.

“...even furniture, electronic equipment, building materials and vehicles...”

Recycle bins

Make sure you have one or more recycle bins at home. Encourage others to get involved. Follow the recycling schemes provided by your school/ workplace/complex and think about ways of improving on them.

Contact Heidi Boyd on info@envirotimbers.com for more information

M.C. WILKINSON & Co. ATTORNEYS

• Contracts • Wills • Property • Transfers • Disputes & more

Personal. Professional. Mike Wilkinson 083 725 0047 mc@wilkinson.co.za

Leigh Ann Swart

033 343 3088 estates@wilkinson.co.za Jacaranda Centre, 36 Hilton Avenue, Hilton

PMB/Midlands

DBN/Highway

Discounts & Special Offers!

Please confirm all discounts beforehand, as they are subject to change, furthermore please advise us if you encounter any changes.

Durban South

Mondays

• Avondale Spar: 5% discount (not on promotions) every Mon/Tue/Wed - loyalty card required (bring ID and

ID photo)

Tuesdays

• Spar: 5% discount on all purchases (Mon/Tue/Wed) - loyalty card required • Makro: 5% discount on food products and up to 10% discount on general products - pensioner’s card required

Wednesdays

• Musgrave Pick n Pay: double Smart

Shopper points • Game: 10% discount on the first

R1500, excluding cell phones

Highway

Tuesdays

• SuperSpar Richden’s Village: 5% discount • Makro: 10% discount on certain non-food items, 5% discount on food, excluding specials • Knowles SuperSpar: 5% discount - pensioner’s card required • Pick n Pay Caversham Glen: 5% discount and double points on promotional items - pensioner’s card required

Wednesdays

• Clicks: Double e-bucks and double

Club Card points for over 60s (see website • Builders Express Pinetown: 10% discount on Wednesdays - Builders

Express card required • Game: 10% discount on the first

R1500, excluding cell phones, airtime or groceries

Every Day

Bargain Books Hillcrest: 10% discount on Purchases

If you know of any discounts or other special offers for pensioners and would like them included please contact us directly Email: admin@seniorlivingmag.co.za.

R1500, excluding cell phones,

Pietermaritzburg/Midlands

Tuesdays

• Merrivale SuperSpar: 5% discount on tea and cake when using your Spar card • Makro: 5% discount on food products and up to 10% discount on general products - pensioner’s card required

for even more discounts!

• Parklane SuperSpar: 5% pensioner’s discount on all purchases

Wednesdays

• Clicks: double e-bucks and double

Club Card points for over 60s (see Game: 10% discount on the first airtime or grocery items

Thursdays

• Merrivale SuperSpar: 5% discount on tea and sandwiches when using your Spar card

Visit our growing list of suppliers at www.seniorlivingmag.co.za/directory

website)

DBN/Highway PMB/Midlands

Walking al gside y ...

Our telephones are constantly manned 24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK / 365 DAYS A YEAR

24 Hour Call Centre: 086 1111 380

Pmb & Howick: 033 - 342 6116 Durban & Hillcrest: 031 - 205 9959

Durban

• No frail care • 48 individual rooms with basin • 20 shared bathrooms

Meals, teas, laundry & room cleaning included in rental. Library, hairdresser, nail lady, lovely garden, Bible studies, bingo, church services, lift, dancing, etc. available.

68 Montpelier Place (Cnr 5th Avenue), Morningside Telephone: 031 312 6360 Email: admin@thembelahome.co.za

Durban