DOW Awards CRDC South Africa for Transforming Plastic Waste to Build the Nation

The Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration South Africa (CRDC SA) has won a Dow Business Impact Fund Award worth US$100 000.  This funding is good news for South Africa because CRDC SA can now scale its operations and mass produce its breakthrough concrete modifier, RESIN8™, which is made from plastic waste.  This will not only help rid the country of its plastic waste problem but also, critically, help build communities and infrastructure.   

In essence, the Dow funding has helped incubate the CRDC operation in South Africa and, and as a result, made it possible to secure independent finance; partner with major construction partners; and engage with more stakeholders and role-players across the entire plastics value chain, including black-owned SMME recyclers, waste management companies, researchers, and consumer goods brand owners.  In short, this will assure CDRC SA’s future growth, expansion, and sustainability.  CRDC’s RESIN8™ is a worldwide patented construction material that decreases the weight and improves the insulation of concrete applications and, through collaboration with and investment by key role players, will be used to help build South Africa.  

Dow, the world’s leading chemical and scientific materials company, is founded upon a belief in collaboration and in rewarding joint efforts that bring about sustainable solutions. The Dow Business Impact Fund is a competitive grant program containing more than $1MM of annual funding to support social impact projects in partnership with nonprofit or non-governmental organizations that spotlight business solutions.  CRDC SA was awarded the Fund Award in recognition of how the RESIN8™ product will have a positive impact on both people and planet.  In awarding the funding, Dow monitored CRDC’s progress to date, and specifically its product testing, intake (of plastic waste), off-take (RESIN8 applications) and the requisite scalability.  The pilot plant in South Africa has now created ten permanent jobs and used 20 tons of plastic (that would have been destined for landfill) to make RESIN8 for construction.

CRDC Global was founded in Costa Rica and Dow was impressed by not only the company’s achievements in that country, including a substantial housing project, but also the company’s global vision for establishing RESIN8™ plants around the world.   Dow Costa Rica New Business Developer, Jose Barquero says: “The fact that such a revolutionary product could seriously eliminate the world’s plastic waste and that it was born in Costa Rica was important, given Costa Rica’s reputation for adopting and leading sustainable and ecological policies and initiatives.   We believe RESIN8™is the key to tackling our global plastic waste problem and we want to give a strong signal to the world about the importance of scaling the production of RESIN8™.  We are very proud that CRDC is now able to accelerate its roll-out in South Africa.”

Africa Sustainability and Advocacy Manager (packaging and specialty plastics) at DOW for EMEA, Adwoa Coleman adds: “CRDC South Africa has made great headway with the various industries it needs to collaborate with – namely, the consumer plastic producers and plastic waste collectors, the off-takers (the construction industry) and the government. At Dow, we strongly believe that plastic is too valuable a resource to be thrown away or lost to landfill, so it is imperative to help get this important sustainable product to market. We are delighted to be collaborating with other partners to ensure RESIN8™ is a driver for good in South Africa, on the African continent and indeed, throughout the world.”

The plan is for CRDC SA to have 21 RESIN8™ plants in South Africa, operating at full capacity, within five years.   The plants will use 250 000 tons of plastic waste every year - plastic waste that might have been destined for onward damage in landfill sites, the wasteland, and the oceans.   CRDC SA, essentially, is spearheading the biggest and most effective initiative to eradicate the massive plastic waste problem in South Africa.

CRDC SA Business and Communications Director, Deon Robbertze says: “By working with consumer plastic producers, such as Pepsico and Tiger Brands, and with waste collectors, such as Wasteplan, we have the feedstock to make this happen.  By working closely with the construction industry, we will create a supply stream for high-quality construction materials.  This creates a perfect solution to three of our most pressing issues: the recovery of waste plastics from the environment, job creation and the housing deficit.  

“Our aim is for RESIN8™ to become the new industrial feedstock aggregate for the construction industry – and thereby help benefit every sector of society.  We’re so proud to have won the Dow award; it marks a turning point in our development.”