Transforming Sanitation with RE:MINED™ Polymers

Reproplast is proud to share a groundbreaking success story: the conversion of sanitation equipment, specifically toilet pedestals, traditionally made from virgin plastics, to being manufactured entirely with our RE:MINED™ recycled polymers.

This achievement demonstrates that high-performance, sustainable materials can seamlessly replace virgin plastics in demanding applications, without compromise on quality or durability.

Client Background

Our Client is a leading provider of sanitation solutions in Africa. Their mission is to deliver safe, hygienic, and affordable sanitation infrastructure to communities, particularly in rural and under serviced areas. With thousands of units deployed each year, our Client required a reliable material that could meet both performance and commercial expectations while reducing environmental impact.

The Challenge

For decades, sanitation equipment such as toilet pedestals has been manufactured from virgin plastics. While effective, this approach ignored the mounting pressure of plastic waste accumulating in the very communities these products were meant to serve. Large volumes of post-consumer polypropylene packaging - such as paint containers and margarine tubs - were being discarded, often ending up in landfills or as litter in informal settlements.

This presented a dual challenge:

1. To offer value and divert community waste into a resource, creating income opportunities and reducing environmental impact.

2. To reintroduce that same “waste” resource back into communities in the form of high-quality, durable sanitation solutions.

By linking waste collection at the community level with demand from sustainable products like toilets, the circular economy becomes tangible. Individuals can participate directly in the recycling value chain by collecting waste packaging.

The result is a double benefit

• Communities earn value from waste collection, supporting livelihoods and reducing pollution.

• Those same communities receive durable sanitation infrastructure, closing the loop where waste becomes a resource and contributes to dignity, health, and sustainability.

Derived from post-consumer packaging waste streams, RE:MINED™ polymers are specifically engineered to ensure:

• Consistent properties which supports consistent and therefore efficient conversion.

• High impact resistance and stiffness to withstand demanding end use applications like toilets.

• End product look, feel, and performance is maintained, while carrying the added value of sustainability and related social impact.

This material substitution not only aligned with our Client's sustainability goals but also creates a blueprint for other industries looking to supplement virgin polymers in industrial applications.

Conclusion

The collaboration yielded impressive outcomes:

This collaboration between Reproplast and our Client showcases the power of innovation in recycling. By proving that recycled polymers can supplement virgin plastics in essential infrastructure like sanitation equipment, we highlight the versatility and reliability of RE:MINED™ polymers.

At Reproplast, we believe every success story brings us closer to a world where sustainable materials become the default choice, not the exception.