Plastics|SA is pleased to welcome PETCO on board as the official sponsor of the first day’s workshop that will be taking place at the forthcoming Propak Cape Exhibition.

The theme on the first day of the exhibition will be: “Spotlight on responsible packaging and value chain thinking.”

Speakers for the day include:
Dr. Jaisheila Rajput, founder and managing director at TOMA – Tomorrow Matters Now. Rajput is passionate about developing economic models for sustainability and transforming the way we do business. She has leveraged her research and innovation capabilities in developing practical, industry relevant solutions.

Kiril Dimitrov – Woolworths. Dimitrov has worked as a process engineer for Sappi Fine Paper and later moved to Sappi’s Technology Centre in Pretoria as a programme leader, responsible for product and process optimization across the South African operations. In 2009, he joined Woolworths Foods Central Technology in Cape Town where he currently fulfils the role as packaging manager.

The theme on the second day of the exhibition will be: “Zero plastics to landfill (Sponsored by Polyco).”

Speakers for the day include:
Dr Martin Engelmann – PlasticsEurope. Engelmann joined PlasticsEurope as advocacy director in Brussels in November 2011. He previously acted as head of the office of the Director General of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) in Frankfurt for five years. He is one of the experts and driving forces behind PlasticsEurope’s “Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2025” project.

Chris Whyte – Use-It. Whyte has been involved in recycling activities for 15 years and is currently the managing director of eThekwini’s Waste Materials Recovery Industry Development Cluster, an NGO based in Durban implementing projects that divert waste from landfill and creating jobs and economic development in the sector.

Douw Steyn – Plastics|SA. The South African plastics industry has set itself the ambitious target of eliminating all plastic from the country’s landfill sites by the year 2030.  According to Plastics|SA, the umbrella body representing the entire local plastics industry, a new sustainability objective has been set under the title, “Zero plastics to landfill by 2030”.  Sustainability director at Plastics|SA, Douw Steyn, will briefly explain how this target will greatly influence the plastic industry’s strategic direction over the next 16 years.

The workshop runs over 21 and 22 October at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Email Dianne.blumberg@plasticssa.co.za for more information.