SAICRA is a registered Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) with registration number: 19/7/5/P/PRO/20210722/006.

About SAICRA

The South African Industrial Container Reconditioners Association (SAICRA) was formed in January 2012 through a facilitation initiative by the ROSE Foundation (Recycling Oil Saves the Environment).  ROSE in its mission to extend its influence over oil related waste in ensuring extended producer responsibility, engaged with the drum reconditioning industry trying to reduce the environmental degradation where oil was concerned.

In January 2012, the Manufactures of industrial containers and the container Reconditioners came together and formed the South African Industrial Container Reconditioners Association (SAICRA), a body that is self-funded.  The Association was founded to provide a vehicle that unites the Industry, Manufacturers and the Reconditioners of industrial containers and drums, and to give them a voice while affording them as members, the means to become environmentally responsible and compliant.

There are many reconditioning plants around South Africa providing a much-needed service to the oil and chemical industries.  SAICRA represents these Reconditioners of industrial containers and new drum Manufacturers, promoting responsible environmental collection and reconditioning of industrial containers in South Africa.

SAICRA members operate drum and IBC reconditioning facilities across South Africa to clean, test and refurbish a wide variety of industrial packaging, which have local and imported products from around the world.  SAICRA offers its members strong support in the form of assistance with legal and government updates, industry training and compliance audits to highlight areas of non-compliance with legislation, regulations and environmental responsible care.

Mission

to promote the  role of the South African industrial container producers, brand owners and reconditioners to meet the extended producer responsibility  in the collection, transportation, recycling and treatment of previously certified packaging  in a sustainable, ethical, environmentally compliant and responsible manner 

Objectives

THE OBJECTIVES OF SAICRA INCLUDE:

  1. act in the best interests of all members, to protect and ensure a sustainable, environmentally compliant, profitable and organized industry
  2. conduct business in a manner that protects the environment and the health and safety of workers and the broader community
  3. promote a code of conduct, be ethical and compliant with all relevant legislation for the reconditioning industry
  4. lobby and engage government on a national, provincial and municipal level to represent the interests of the association and its members
  5. actively support the participation of youth, women and people with disabilities in the reconditioning industry to promote the circular economy
  6. encourage all reconditioners of industrial containers to become members of the association and subscribe to its mission and objectives
  7. co-operate and work with organizations and other producer responsibility organizations with similar objectives
  8. promote co-operation and goodwill among members to further the common interests of the association

Recondition - Recycle - Re-use

Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), Steel and plastic Drums are used for the global transportation and storage of a wide variety of products and raw materials, including Dangerous Goods. Not only are these packaging designs safe, they are also environmentally efficient through their ability to be reconditioned and reused.  These industrial packaging’s (drums and IBCs) can be reconditioned to maintain high levels of safety whilst increasing the environmental performance through enabling repeated reuse.

At present, industrial packages are increasingly being designed in ways that make them reconditionable, reusable and/or recyclable. But before they can be reconditioned or recycled, the packaging must be collected by or returned to a Reconditioner, recycler or packaging manufacturer. The interiors and exteriors of these containers must be cleaned and reconditioned to prevent contamination of materials from one consignment to the next and to ensure the integrity of the containers.

If, however they are not reconditioned for reusage, they constitute a continuous and unpreventable risk not only for human health but also for the environment. Reconditioning of used drums and IBCs provide many benefits; not only through preventing environmental pollution, but also through their economical return thanks to reusing. This supports the principle of a circular economy whilst protecting the environment.