An Auckland business plans to bury millions of plastic milk bottles, but not as landfill. That’s where it gets interesting. They’re going to turn them into underground pipes first.

Over the past year Solo Plastics has been testing technology to make plastic pipes out of recycled milk bottles. Those trials have been so successful that it has invested in new high-tech equipment from Germany that can produce pipes on a massive scale. CEO Alan Sutcliffe is confident the plant will be up and running in a new East Tamaki factory by the middle of this year.Solo Plastics has been in business for more than 35 years, designing, building and installing plastic piping solutions for infrastructure in New Zealand. The business changed hands two years ago and developed a vision for „fabricating for a better tomorrow“. Alan says that means working “to protect our people and our planet by applying truly sustainable manufacturing”. The business has always recycled its own high density polyethylene (HDPE) offcuts and waste and collects HDPE waste from some of the sites it works on. It has also started a product stewardship trial collecting waste HDPE piping from electrical merchants. Last year Solo Plastics recycled 71.3 tonnes of plastic waste. That may sound like a lot but it’s only a fraction of the amount used in production every year. “New Zealand imports thousands of tonnes of HDPE resin from all over the world to make pipes while at the same time we’re exporting waste plastic milk bottles abroad for recycling. We’re trying to flip that on its head by importing less and using more locally,” says Alan. It turns out that our plastic milk bottles - the ones with the #2 recycling symbol – are a large and valuable and local resource. 

“We’ve found the quality of milk bottles in New Zealand is extremely good, and we’re getting really good results with it.” 
A WasteMINZ report released in January reveals that more than 7,800 tonnes of #2 dairy containers, including milk bottles, are collected for recycling every year in New Zealand. Sadly, more than 1,700 tonnes are still being sent directly to landfill. At this point it’s hard to estimate how many recycled milk bottles Solo Plastics will be able to use, but it’s going to add up to millions over the next few years. To give you an idea, it takes more than 3000 two-litre milk bottles to make a standard six-metre length of pipe with a diameter of 800mm. At that rate, says Alan, getting enough bottles could be an issue.

“We’re also doing trials using a mix of milk bottles and other HDPE plastics like shampoo and detergent bottles and the results we’re getting are encouraging” This NZ based processing and market development of recycled materials provides further local product stewardship options for suppliers of packaged goods to economically manage the end of life of their packaging. The bottles are processed by Astron, in Auckland, which turns them into tiny pellets of plastic resin. The resin can be used in a number of ways, including extrusion and injection moulding. Solo Plastics uses a method called ‘spiral wound’ extrusion. Rather than producing products made out of solid plastic, this latest technology uses lightweight spiral wound hollow cores around an inner core. This creates a product that’s incredibly strong without being heavy. That’s a big plus when you’re producing pipes, up to five metres in diameter, as it makes them easier to handle, transport and install.
“They can be built to withstand the same loading and will last as long as concrete, which used to be the only option but is not a very sustainable product.”
Alan says recent studies have compared the emissions created when producing large diameter pipes using concrete and HDPE. “It was found that, on average, concrete produced 21% more emissions during production and 95% more emissions when transported from the factory to work site.” The new equipment on the way from Germany will make pipes out of virgin or recycled HDPE. Premium grade pipes for big infrastructure projects will continue to be made out of virgin resources. Pipes that don’t need the same high level of structural integrity, as used on farms on forestry for culverts and waste water, can be made out of recycled material. Alan says that in terms of a circular economy the milk bottle project is a beautiful fit.  “We’re recycling milk bottles so they can be used to drain the farms that produced the milk in the first place. And, in a 100 years’ time those pipes can be dug up and recycled all over again.” 

Listing for product stewardship directory

Solo uses recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) waste to make pipes for a range of industries. It recycles HDPE waste and offcuts from its own operations, construction sites and some electrical merchants. It has successfully trialled technology that uses recycled plastic milk bottles. New equipment coming online in mid 2021 will increase its use of recycled HDPE.  Author: Solo Plastics

Since 2014, sturgeon farming has been operating in Estonia (Paatsalu, Varbla municipality, Pärnu County), and the owners want to produce caviar in addition to meat fish in the coming years.Since 2014, sturgeon farming has been operating in Estonia (Paatsalu, Varbla municipality, Pärnu County), and the owners want to produce caviar in addition to meat fish in the coming years.

„We want to become the largest caviar producer in the region, but it requires additional money and hard work,“ says Kristo Teder, who has been on the board of Varbla Fish Farming Private Limited Company from the beginning. According to Teder, the idea to establish a fish farm in Paatsallu came from fish businessman Arvin Peks in the first years of this decade, motivated by the experience of growing exotic fish of Latvian origin Jevgenijs Mjasiševs. At the same time, the southern neighbor, which had grown up in Russia, America and France, set up sturgeon farming in Uruguay, and although the local owners had no experience in fish farming, it was decided to take risks. Today, Miyashev has left the project because his long absence in Uruguay did not allow him to contribute enough to the company, but in the initial phase his skills and knowledge were of considerable help. A six-hectare property was found in Varbla Parish, where the constructions of the old Paatsalu cattle barn buildings could be used nicely in the construction of the farm. Water samples also showed that groundwater from limestone soils is ideal for sturgeon farming. According to Teder, the construction work started in 2013, the financiers are the owners, Nordea Bank and the Rural Development Foundation, ARIB received about 450,000 euros in support from the aquaculture support EFF measure.

In March 2014, the first block of the farm was launched and the first egg was incubated. At the beginning of 2015, the farm was quite finished. Sturgeon, which is considered to be a royal fish, is farmed here in closed reusable aquaculture systems, groundwater is obtained from a borehole at a depth of 140 meters, and the total volume of water in the systems is 1,400 cubic meters. „We have four systems: an incubator, a juvenile fish system and two commercial fish systems. Technologically, the farm as a whole is working quite well, but the technical systems can certainly be improved to reduce energy and oxygen consumption. Technology is evolving rapidly and changes need to be kept up, ”says Teder. „We buy fertilized sturgeon from abroad and incubate the fry in our incubator. Then they go to the monkey house and are raised to a weight of a few tens of grams. From there, the fish already moves to the commercial fish ponds, where the final product is completed. ” Russian and Siberian sturgeon are currently grown in Varbla. In addition to sturgeons, other fish can be farmed here. „We have done a small experiment with perch for the Swiss market, but now our main goal is to focus on caviar production. If we find additional funding, we will only be a few years away from the target. We want to involve a strong investor with whom to take the project forward. A few hundred thousand euros are needed, ”Teder makes no secret.

To date, about 80 tonnes of fish have been released from here. „We market three-quarters of the goods in Estonia, the rest goes to foreign markets, mainly to Norway and Great Britain. At the moment, our sales are not large, because we keep the potential of female fish for the production of caviar. The world‘s leading sturgeon farmers specialize in the production and marketing of caviar. The demand for caviar is very high and the price of one kilogram of top quality reaches thousands of euros. At the same time, reaching the finished product is a long process and production costs must be covered during the whole cycle - fish feed, oxygen, electricity, labor. The current owners lack the capital to reach the desired end product. The nature of the fish farming sector also requires different loan products than those offered by Estonian commercial banks, ”Teder opens the current state of the company.

Thus, Varbla understands that sturgeons do not only make a profit from meat production. At the same time, according to Kristo Teder, there is every opportunity for the economic indicators of Varbla Fish Farming to reach a plus. „In general, our goals have been met. We hope to make a profit next year. If we succeed in producing caviar, we will be able to meet our financial obligations in four to five years. On the basis of the existing fish stock, we could produce caviar already in 2018 and we would be able to produce about two tons every year. We are thoroughly prepared. As the only Estonian company, we have CITES accreditation for the production, processing and packaging of caviar. ” In parallel with the production of caviar, the production of fish meat in Varbla will be maintained, although the volume will be smaller: sorted male fish will be sold as meat fish in kilograms or more.When it comes to fish meat, Varbla Fish Farming Private Limited Company has reason to be proud. „We have reached a very high quality fish meat. We have supplied fish to the teams of top Estonian and Norwegian chefs, for example, who competed successfully in the Bocuse d’Or competition this year. Our fish has been on the table during the heads of state‘s visits to Kadriorg Castle and has even been sent to the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre restaurant in London. ” However, there is no point in investing in fish meat alone. Compared to the time of the company‘s establishment, the market situation has changed radically. „The situation is not favorable for us - the traditional Russian market has disappeared”.
(Source: Postimees/Maaelu by Toomas Šalda)

Fish farming company - Jaesto OÜ - is operating a closed recirculated aquaculture system (RAS). Aquaculture system where there are always at least two cultures that need to be taken care of. One culture is the fish species that is farmed and the second is the bio filter culture – symbiosis to balance.  Bio filtration in clear water aquaculture farms can be done via different technical methods like with fluid-bed, fixed bed and with combined bio filter media. All of these methods have different benefits. Mainly the systems are consuming NH3/NH4, which is dropped into water as fish feces or fish feed waste, CO2 that comes from breathing and digesting of wastes in bio filters. Firstly, the RAS is cleaned with mechanical filtration or with water flow sedative as physical help. This stage removes bigger particles. Second stage is bio filtration with different mid-stages to take care of water chemistry. The black HDPE containers are set-up to clean the Aquatic environment so that successfully cleaned water is reusable again. The material is good because it is durable and easy to modify if needed. This is how the circulating aquaculture system can save cost efficiently the water resource that fish and other aquatic organisms can grow with a small footprint on the surrounding environment. Krah Pipes OÜ got the request for 10 ID3000 H=5000 tanks in December 2020. At first it was a simple task: ID3000 VW16 tank with a bottom out of 30mm PE plate. As we got more involved with the project and the more we talked with the client, it became clear that it will not be a project that we thought it was going to be. In the end it was a tank with cone bottom with pipes going through under the bottom. It took ca 8-9 days for 2 men complete one tank. Most challenging tasks were bending and butt-welding the cone bottoms. Also reinforcing the cone bottom with diferent diameter VW pipes (ID600 VW28; ID1200 VW28; ID1800 VW30 and ID2400 VW30)First tank was ready to be shipped out in the beginning of March 2021. Last tank was shipped out on 26.04.2021. The client was really happy with the end result altough the beginning was rough. The client was really time sensible as they had 5 tons of small fish waiting to be delivered and there was a chance that if the construction was delayed the fish might not make it. In the end everything worked out well and the fish are ready to move into their new home.

Author
Oliver Tuus
Krah Pipes OÜ, Estonia

The National Entity of Water Works for Sanitation, proceed with the expansion works of the Treatment Plant and its respective Collector of San Carlos de Bariloche, in Rio Negro province in Southern Argentina.The National Entity of Water Works for Sanitation, proceed with the expansion works of the Treatment Plant and its respective Collector of San Carlos de Bariloche, in Rio Negro province in Southern Argentina.

The work on the Treatment Plant is close to completion, which consists of expanding capacity by the construction of a new module and the incorporation of a currently  non-existing grease removal unit, with these new facilities the plant will fulfill the treatment requirments  of an ever growing city maintaining the Nahuel huapi lake water cristal clear.The submarine outfall is 80 meters length and has a diameter of 0.8 meters. The pipes were joint by the unique Krah electrofusion system. A Little more about Nahuel Huapi lake… It´s located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park, has a surface of 530 km2, rests 2,510 feet (770 m) above the sea level. The lake depression consists of several glacial valleys carved out along faults and Miocene valleys that were later dammed by moraines. Its seven branches are named Blest , Huemul, de la Tristeza, Campanario, Machete, del Rincón and Última Esperanza. It is connected to other smaller lakes such as Gutiérrez, Moreno, Espejo and Correntoso. The deep-blue waters hold a number of islands, most notably Isla Victoria with an area of 31 km², and Isla Huemul. In the rivers, lakes and streams we can find a number of various fish species including the natives: perca, puyen and the Patagonian pejerrey; and some introduced species such as rainbow trout, brown and brook trout and salmon.In the Andean-Patagonian forest, we can find a large number of native tree species such as: Coihue, Maiten and Radal; and, in more marshy areas: Arrayan and Patagua.If you are lucky enough, maybe you can see some autochthonous mammals such as the Pudú-Pudú or midget deer, the Hhuemul (deer), the Puma and the Huillín or river otter, the Red Fox, the Zorrilla, the midget weasel etc., these are scarce and can rarely be seen.

Amongst the exotic fauna we have the Red Deer, and herds of Guanacos that can be watched on the slopes of Valle Encantado. The avifauna is represented by the Cormorant, Cauquen, Bandurria, Gull, the Woodpecker, the Great Bustard, etc. The large common Grebe or Huala, the Bandurria, the Bustard and the gullible Chucao, can be easily spotted. You can also listen to the sad whistle of the Fio-Fio. The birds of prey are abundant on the steppe; and the best known, the majestic Condor, is on high summits. Who had not tremble at watching the magnificence of its flight…?

Author
Sabrina Rocio Fernandéz
Krah América Latina

The SAKO desalination plant is located on the Northern coast of the Persian Gulf, Bandar Abbas, which consists of desalination units with a total product capacity of 1.000.000 m3/day, i.e. 42.000 m3/hr from seawater, using “Reverse Osmosis” technology. A sea water intake system supported by HDPE pipes and related accessories (ID 2500mm), was supplied from Tadbir Novin Sazan company (TNS Co.). The total length of the project were 16km, divided in 6 pipelines for intake and 3 pipelines for outfall applications. The sea water intake facility is based on a gravity filled pump basin which supplies the required water for desalination plants. The site of the project is located on the Persian Gulf seashore in Homozgan Province of IRAN. The SAKO desalination plant is located on the Northern coast of the Persian Gulf, Bandar Abbas, which consists of desalination units with a total product capacity of 1.000.000 m3/day, i.e. 42.000 m3/hr from seawater, using “Reverse Osmosis” technology. A sea water intake system supported by HDPE pipes and related accessories (ID 2500mm), was supplied from Tadbir Novin Sazan company (TNS Co.). The total length of the project were 16km, divided in 6 pipelines for intake and 3 pipelines for outfall applications. The sea water intake facility is based on a gravity filled pump basin which supplies the required water for desalination plants. The site of the project is located on the Persian Gulf seashore in Homozgan Province of IRAN.  Regarding the warm and dry climate of Central and Southeastern Iran, and at the same time, the necessity of further development of the Iranian Mining Industries that require massive water resources located in these regions and considering water shortage in the country, were the main reason to construct such a project. 

The main water consumers of the project are “Potable and industrial applications of the Hormozgan province”, “Gole-Gohar Iron Ore Company”, “Sarcheshmeh Copper Industrial Company”, and “Chador Malu Mining and Industrial Company”. Supplying potable and industrial water which is required to construction of large industrial, mining and steel companies, contribute to industrial growth and also promoting economic prosperity especially in the provinces (Hormozgan, Kerman and Yazd) with less water, are some important advantages of this plan. 

Author
TNS (Tadbir Novin Sazan)