Page 54 - Case Study Annual 2015
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PET Recycling UTi Pharma
Company (PETCO) Green strategy
benefits
rPETplays a
vital role Tracking the life cycle of a product’s
and/or service’s carbon footprint from
PET packaging is an essential part of
our modern-day lifestyle. It plays a vital idea to final product is the depth
role in food safety, preservation and the UTi Pharma took when measuring
efficient distribution of goods. the company’s carbon
Globally, the PET bottle is amongst the most management activities.
highly recycled of all packaging products.
It is easily identifiable and is not prone to In October 2012, UTi Pharma took occupation of
as much contamination from co-mingling its new ‘fully automated green’ facility in Gauteng
in waste steams as other products and, as a polymer, is that has allowed the company to consolidate
almost completely homogenous across all the bottles eight of its nine operations into one. This equates
it’s used for. This neatly closes the recycling loop and to now operating two facilities in the Gauteng region
enables ‘cradle to cradle’ packaging solutions. It was instead of nine. The new Meadowview facility was
acknowledged that Industry-managed EPR was the built in accordance to the Green Building Council of
best way to enable those who make products to be South Africa (GBCSA) guidelines. The building itself is
responsible for managing them and preventing waste. energy efficient and resource efficient; it was built using
That way both the environment and the consumer environmentally responsible methods and processes.
were protected. Also, recycling of PET and adding It incorporates design, construction and operational
value on our shores was identified by industry as practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the
an opportunity. Viable end-use market development, negative impact of its development on the environment
supported by sustained local collection would be vital and its occupants. When compared to other facilities
to the establishment of this local recycling economy for of similar size using a typical chiller system, the facility
PET. Along with this would come collateral benefits: is designed to consume approximately 10% less (in
the off-set of natural resource use; the reduction in the kWh/month). The annual consumption of the facility
environmental and social impacts from waste (litter and during 2013 showed that it used 15% less energy
growing landfills), the creation of access to valuable and had a demand of 60% of that of the previous
secondary resources; while at the same time creating UTi Pharma facility. The company selected the most
social and economic benefits ( job creation, sustainable accessible, well-connected facility possible, one that’s
livelihoods and growing the green economy) through optimally located in terms of the company’s demand
recycling and collection. Through vision and continued and supply base (suppliers, customers and personnel).
industry commitment, a national industry body – the Transportation contributes to a company’s footprint
PET Recycling Company (PETCO) – was established more than warehousing does, which means the choice
in 2004. This has resulted in national networks for PET of venue will have a huge impact on the company’s
collection, sorting and recycling, realising recycling effort to be environmentally friendly. For most major
rates comparable with developed countries. PETCO has corporates like UTi Pharma, the socially responsible
grown its recycling rates from 16% in 2005 to 49% in aspect of going green can no longer stand in isolation
2014 and should reach a rate of 50%, catching up to or be ignored or avoided; it needs to be aligned with
Europe nearing 60% and comfortably ahead of the USA the strategy of the organisation to provide the required
at 31%. A 2022 target has been set at 70%. • benefits to all stakeholders. The concept of ‘greening’
the business has been incorporated into UTi’s long-term
strategy.•
52 the logistics news case study annual 2015
