From milk bottles to farm drainage
Plastic bottles, specifically household items, are a growing contributor to waste in New Zealand. RX Plastics (RXP) and WM New Zealand are working together to help overcome this issue through their design of Drainflo® products.
RXP, as part of Aliaxis, has invested in its recycling capabilities through a grant received from the Ministry for Environment Plastics Innovation Fund, a joint venture with WM New Zealand, and the establishment of Plastics Recycling New Zealand. Their commitment to sustainability went further with the acquisition of Comspec in 2023, a leader in the plastics recycling industry. Together, they have embarked on a journey to turn waste into valuable products.
The process starts when household plastics are placed in recycling bins for curbside collection, and from there they are transported to Comspec’s facilities in Christchurch. The plastic waste is sorted, washed, granulated, and converted into high-quality recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) compound, then used as raw material at Aliaxis NZ’s, RXP and Marley sites to manufacture Drainflo pipes.
Drainflo is a lightweight corrugated pipe with high crush resistance and flexibility, designed to remove excess groundwater from pasture, cropland, and orchards. With over 50 years in the New Zealand market, it is an effective product to blend recycled plastic into.
Drainflo and its counterpart Drainflo® HD contain up to 60 percent recycled content. The Aliaxis Materials Engineering and Technical Teams spent months ensuring that the combination of materials does not affect processing stability and product quality.
In the past year, RXP has helped recycle 614 tonnes of plastic janitorial waste from Comspec. That is the equivalent in weight of approximately 1,100 dairy cows. Drainflo HDPE material is 100 percent recyclable so unused off-cuts can be returned to RXP for reprocessing into more Drainflo, preventing plastic waste from going to landfills.
Logistics are a challenge, including how to get end-of-life products back, and then sort, clean, and granulate them in an efficient manner that makes commercial sense.
Speaking with Craig Finnie, Factory Manager at Comspec, the future of recycling is in good hands. The availability of recyclable material has been increasing since the acquisition by WM New Zealand and Aliaxis.
“Knowing that every kilo of recycled plastic is one less kilo going into landfill motivates me,” says Craig.
Every metre of Drainflo purchased from PGG Wrightson and installed represents a small victory in the battle against plastic waste. It shows what can be achieved if we see waste as a sustainable resource.
Visit your local PGG Wrightson store to purchase from the Drainflo® range of pipes.
