12 minute read
AFRICAN INVENTIVENESS
REINVENTED, REJUVENATED AND RELAUNCHED Plascon looks to a green future as it develops innovative environmentally friendly products
Plascon has remained one of South Africa’s preferred coatings manufacturer for over 130 years as a result of its ability to continuously reinvent its brand. Furthering its commitment to environmental conservation has been a mandate for the brand, which continues to take meaningful steps to reduce its impact on the environment with leaps and bounds in green technology.
NO MORE APEO CHEMICALS
The fi rst of these innovations is the introduction of APEO-free formulations. Plascon TradePro Roof & More is Africa’s fi rst roof paint that is entirely free of harmful APEO chemicals. APEO compounds are
bioaccumulative compounds that when released into the environment can be toxic to human and wildlife, especially marine life. Conventional roof paints contain APEOs that over time leach into waterways through rain and drainage, eventually contaminating the soil, water tables, rivers and, ultimately, oceans.
Dr Kevin Winter from the University of Cape Town’s Future Water Organisation says: “APEOs found in freshwater systems are toxic to aquatic organisms. In large doses, APEOs even have the potential to disrupt human hormonal systems. APEOs are discharged into freshwater systems from stormwater runoff and sewage works. They are found in a variety of products including paints, packaging and cleaning agents.”
By choosing to use APEO-free products, you are contributing to a safer, healthier and more sustainable planet. Water, although a reusable resource, needs to be treated responsibly and conserved to avoid pollution and shortages. South Africa is among some of the most water-scarce countries in the world and one way to use water more responsibly – and save money on your monthly municipal bill – is to harvest rainwater from roofs. Since Plascon TradePro Roof & More is APEO-free it is safe for the harvesting of rainwater for nonpotable use.
REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE
The plastic pandemic is another large threat to environmental conservation. The mass production of plastics began six decades ago and since then, 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced – an estimated 90 per cent of this is not recycled – with approximately 8 million tonnes ending up in oceans annually.
Given the excessive life expectancy of plastic products, almost every piece of plastic created and sent to a landfill or dumped in the environment is still in existence. This puts an immense strain on the environment and its inhabitants, increasing the urgency to reduce plastic consumption and wastes, as well as to find sustainable ways to recycle existing plastic products. To honour this call, Plascon has introduced black buckets to its premium range, which are made of up to 70 per cent upcycled material.
Upcycling is a means by which we can reduce the amount of solid waste entering landfills and polluting the environment. The materials of old paint buckets are harvested to produce new ones of equal quality with a lower manufacturing impact. Through this process, carbon emissions are reduced by extending the shelf life of used materials, thereby reducing the energy and natural resources needed for the manufacture of new materials. By upcycling, we not only stop more longwearing pollutants from going to landfills, but also reduce environmental footprint by saving the cost of manufacturing, packaging and transporting new materials.
These upcycled buckets provide the same structural integrity with new distinction to the Plascon premium range, including Plascon Micatex, Double Velvet Pure, Cashmere, Velvaglo Water-Based, Nuroof Cool and Wall & All, bringing consumers the renowned and trusted quality of these brands with peace of mind knowing that they’re making the most responsible choice for the environment.
A MOVE TO WATER-BASED PRODUCTS
Much of environmental conservation and ethical practice involves correcting ingrained perceptions and innovating so that the same quality can be provided while reducing environmental impact. Solvent-based paints used to be the preferred choice in coatings, favoured for their perceived durability, especially in enamel paints. But these solvents can be more demanding in terms of application, cleaning, disposal and, most importantly, are harmful to the environment.
There has been a global shift toward water-based products, which offer equal, if not better, quality with added benefits including faster drying times, lower associated costs and minimal impact to the environment and the health and wellbeing of consumers.
Plascon Velvaglo Water-Based Enamel is just one of the extensive water-based range of products offered by Plascon. Leading the field in water-based alternatives, Plascon Velvaglo is prized for its superior strength, satin finish and versatility. Formulated with a unique water-based acrylic hybrid called AquatoughTM , Plascon Velvaglo Water-Based offers all the toughness of a solvent-based enamel including UV, flaking and stain resistance, with nondrip properties while remaining environmentally friendly and nontoxic.
Also of particular concern with solvent-based products is the associated risk of VOC (volatile organic compounds) emission, which has become a major societal concern with VOC pollution on the rise. VOCs are chemicals emitted from production processes and common household items. These chemicals accumulate in the air and can have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to 10 times higher) than outdoors. To combat this threat, Plascon optimised the formulations of its premium brands, which now all boast zero VOC recipes. This means that when using these products there are no VOC emissions, thereby protecting the environment as well as your home and family.
But Plascon didn’t stop there. Not only has it removed VOCs from its premium products, but it has also further engineered them to remove VOCs from the air too.
A noteworthy VOC, known as formaldehyde, also presents a growing cause for concern. Emitted from common household items, such as upholstery, carpeting and household cleaning agents, formaldehyde has the potential to pollute the air and compromise our health.
PAINT THAT PURIFIES
In 2020, Plascon pioneered a first for the South African market: a paint with air purifying technology. Plascon Double Velvet Pure has the ability to actively improve the quality of indoor air by removing formaldehyde from the air that you breathe, making your home and workplace a safer environment for you, your co-workers and family. A special compound in the formula removes and permanently transforms the formaldehyde in the air into undetectable, harmless water vapour that is safe to breathe.
The re-engineered product retains all of its premium quality, strength and elegance as well as its existing leading technologies such as the Stain BarrierTM to make cleaning away life’s messier moments a breeze, Silver ProtectTM to inhibit mould and bacterial growth and BreatheasyTM to minimise odour and ensure cleaner, breathable air.
Plascon continues to innovate with a focus on developing pioneering products while being conscious of their environmental impact. These changes affirm Plascon’s re-orientation and refreshed commitment to focus on people and purpose.
➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Plascon website.
For more information: www.plascon.com
AFRICAN INVENTIVENESS
In a world greatly impacted by COVID-19, and with job losses and unemployment on the rise, South Africa continues to produce creative inventors and entrepreneurs looking to solve social and economic issues. By ITUMELENG MOGAKI
Solar Turtle Connectivity Kiosk
MOBILE CONNECTIVITY KIOSK FOR OFF-GRID AREAS
Understanding the need for alternative electrification services in off-grid areas, Solar Turtle decided to invent a micro solar-energy kiosk for use in rural communities in the Eastern Cape.
Introduced in April 2019, the project’s objective was to design and develop three manoeuvrable and affordable prototypes, with the aim of empowering unemployed women and youth to become entrepreneurs.
“We saw a gap in the market for a small solar-energy kiosk that can provide battery charging and Wi-Fi options to meet the ever-growing reliance on smartphones and other ICT devices,” says Candice Paulin, chief operations officer at Solar Turtle.
“The introduction of our kiosks creates jobs in the green economy, while also offering clean reliable energy and connectivity in less
CONVERTING RECYCLED PLASTIC INTO SAFE OWL HOUSES
The Murray family, founders of the Owl Rescue Centre – an owl sanctuary in a rural area of Hartbeespoort in the North West province, is concerned with all aspects of conservation.
Back in 2008, their then six-year-old daughter Rebecca propelled the Murrays to pioneer a plastic recycling drive after watching a programme on what happens to marine life because of discarded plastic straws.
Brendan Murray researched plastic recycling methods and came up with a way for the centre to manufacture its conservation products – owl houses, bat houses and beehives, originally made from wood – out of recycled plastic.
He explains that the plastic bottles are first granulated into a workable product, which is then put through an extruder that melts it for pressing into the moulds used to make the various conservation products.
The idea not only provides a solution for massive amounts of plastic waste, but also enables the manufacture of these products from something that could almost last forever.
“Although the wood owl houses work very well, wood deteriorates over time and often needs replacing. These plastic owl houses will still benefit many generations of owls, hundreds of years from now,” he says.
The sanctuary maintains a favourable relationship with traditional media as well as its 80 000 followers on the centre’s social media pages, all of which helps attract benefactors.
“Our latest achievement is to get mobile service provider MTN excited about owl conservation. They have now come on board to help us keep owls safe,” adds Murray.
Solar Turtle Spark Bike
privileged, off-grid and rural communities,” she says.
To date, the company has set up six mobile kiosks in the greater Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipal district.
“We have trained 19 unemployed women and youth in the area and provided them with employment opportunities on a rotational basis to operate or run these kiosks on behalf of Solar Turtle. The response has been phenomenal as we are trading and operating in areas with limited access to electricity. We have even stationed our kiosks at a number of schools in impoverished areas that have limited access to stable grid connections, Wi-Fi or printing services.”
Paulin adds that the response from the students and staff members at these schools has been overwhelming as students can purchase data at less than R5 per gig and access Wi-Fi services.
Owl House
Untreated and treated water samples.
Water scarcity in South Africa gave the founder of BN Aqua Solutions, Boitumelo Nkatlo, the idea to take acid mine water and process it into water that is safe for human consumption.
During his tenure as a metallurgist at a gold mine, Nkatlo realised the possibility of using a metallurgical waste byproduct to remove heavy metals from raw acidic water and make it drinkable. He then embarked on a project to check its viability as a business and today, his invention is a prototype at the Council for Scientifi c and Industrial Research (CSIR). “The Department of Water and Sanitation has built several acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment plants in the greater Johannesburg area, but their product water does not reach drinking stage. We were able to retrofi t our solution into the existing treatment plants to reach a viable drinking stage,” says Nkatlo. The treated drinking water will be produced at a competitive price and sold at a cheaper rate to low-income communities surrounding the mines, he says. “They can use this treated water for drinking, irrigation and agricultural purposes.” Incubated by The Innovation Hub, Nkatlo’s company is gradually growing and he is ready to commercialise his invention into an industrial solution, one which can help address the country’s Boitumelo Nkatlo water problems.
Founded in 2021, National Pride is a personal care business that is all about creating cost-effective personal care products for South Africans. The company manufactures and distributes disposable baby diapers and pants, feminine hygiene pads, baby wipes, adult incontinence products and new multipurpose disinfectant wipes with 100 per cent biodegradable active ingredients.
“Our target market is predominantly South Africans who are looking for affordable personal care products that perform as well as the international brands and offer the same features and benefi ts,” says Murray Booth, marketing executive at National Pride.
He notes that the biggest hurdle is the perception that local products are not as good as the “big brands”. “However, we fi nd that once people try our products, they realise that they don’t need to pay a premium for the others.”
National Pride product range
National Pride’s brand stable includes Cuddlers, the fi rst and only South African nappy brand available in all major retailers, Baby Panda, a market leader in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, Active Care incontinence products, and Simply Dry sanitary pads.
National Pride employs over 300 South Africans, the majority from Soweto, a community that surrounds their new-generation industrial plant.
“As we are able to offer world-class manufacturing capabilities, National Pride continues to grow, innovate and offer clients competitively priced and reliable products,” concludes Murray.
– MURRAY BOOTH, NATIONAL PRIDE
Umgibe garden
INNOVATIVE VEGETABLE-GROWING SYSTEM FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS
Nonhlanhla Joye never expected in 2014 that her vegetable-growing system would, one day, support 37 small-scale farmers in rural parts of KwaZulu-Natal. A cancer survivor, affectionately known as Ma’Joye, she devised a system to protect her vegetable garden from foraging chickens.
Joye’s invention involved suspending recycled plastic bags on wood, creating an agro-ecological tool that provides protection from the chickens. Today, she’s the owner of Umgibe Farming Organics and Training Institute, which employs 12 permanent staff members, 28 casual workers and additional seasonal workers at harvest time.
“Even though the core of our business is the vegetable-growing system, we are working with 159 cooperatives, from small-scale farmers, who we train and develop and help with marketing their produce, to big retail stores, restaurants, hospitals and more. These are crucial stakeholders with whom we continue to build good working relationships,” she explains.
