Established in 2011 by three passionate shareholders, Roger Thomas, Grant Nell, and Bronwyn Bagley, NewLife Plastics manufactures a wide range of outdoor furniture and associated products from 100% recycled plastic packaging.

Based in Capricorn Park, Cape Town, NewLife employs staff from the area and trains them up in the field of recycling and fabrication, and together they work to produce and sell quality recycled products for the home and business.

How it all started
It all began when there was a growing need to recycle the millions of plastic (PET) bottles and containers that go into our landfills every day. The major PET recycler at that time needed an outlet for all the polyolefin plastics, usually found in bottle caps, labels, etc. that came along with the PET that was collected for re-processing.

‘Dumping of this ‘by-product’ was an alternative, as was the resale of the waste to existing plastic recyclers. However, within a short period, the reprocessing of the waste and its extrusion into mixed plastic profiles suitable for making outdoor furniture and structures proved to be a far better venture.’

With similar operations running in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal it was suggested that we start such an enterprise in the Cape. After some planning and financial modelling, factory space, tools and equipment were acquired, processes were developed, and within a short period of time, NewLife Plastics became a top supplier of quality 100% recycled plastic outdoor furniture, as well as supplying products in combination with steel for strength and rigidity in certain applications.

Local support
‘All of its partners in business, no matter how small are much appreciated as NewLife does not set itself apart from, but rather sees itself as integral to the SA plastics industry, in the service it offers to its customers and in generating employment.’

Plastics-SA and SAPRO have been supportive and NewLife Plastics have won various awards in their annual recycled products competitions.

POLYCO and PETCO have assisted in some co-marketing along with other fabricators of similar products made from recycled polyolefin plastic.

Propet Fibres assists where it is able to in the supply of used polymer bulk bags for the handling and reprocessing of all NewLife Plastics waste.

‘NewLife Plastics owes its continued existence to the public and institutions who proudly buy benches made from recycled plastic for their homes and gardens, foyers, common areas and courtyards.’