Logistics & Supply Chain

The machine—run by Unique Timber Plastics in Johannesburg’s Heriotdale industrial area, removes plastic and aluminium layers from used cartons, producing pellets reused as industrial inputs.

With the US acquisition and Lumson’s Asian position, the group’s international beauty/personal care packaging scale grows, deepening North American customer ties while Lombardi Design & MFG bolsters wider APAC presence.

Polyco, a Pikitup stakeholder and non-profit for SA plastic recycling, pledged machinery to improve productivity and efficiency of on-site collection/sorting cooperatives.

With shorter runs, faster turnarounds, SKU growth, and premium aesthetics driving demand, hybrid digital production is increasingly key for label makers, a shift reflected in Artisan Venture’s investment.

Powder recovery and recycling lets unused and residual metal powders be reprocessed, lowering waste and input costs and supporting circular flows on-site.

Arridex CEO Kayode Adeleke noted that African industry stops not due to insufficient ambition or talent, but because critical parts for legacy equipment are lacking, calling the initiative the launch of a borderless manufacturing network to rewrite continental manufacturing and maintenance.

Mirroring broader North American packaging distribution consolidation, the move sees operators seek scale for freight costs, inventory complexity, and regulatory demands.

The growth programme includes expanding recycled polyolefin output, PP, HDPE, and ABS resins. JC Global also plans new Tamil Nadu plants and chemical recycling capacity to recover residual plastics from mechanical recycling.

A quarterly paper and carton take-back programme is part of the initiative, targeting school-generated items like exercise books, exam papers, and packaging.

As chemical recycling projects across Europe grapple with scalability, energy intensity, and cost competitiveness versus virgin polymers, the ownership change arrives.