The uMfolozi Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College,  Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Seta and the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) open Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence

On Thursday, 31 August  2017 the uMfolozi TVET College, the FP&M Seta and the Paper Manufacturing Association of South Africa hosted the official opening of the Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal.

The facility will function primarily as a hub for local Pulp and Paper industry initiatives and as a central point for industry employees enrolled in the Pulp and Paper Occupational Programme (PPOP). It will not only serve as an ideal training venue but will provide space for study groups, seminars and meetings.

College deputy-principal Elsie du Toit described how the centre had been born out of efforts to deliver development opportunities for all involved in the paper industry. This includes, in particular, PPOP participants wishing to study further in their respective fields. Describing the project as a ‘true example of partnership between training institution and industry’, she outlined  some of the activities it will facilitate.

These include the research, workplace integrated learning, the administration and management of the PPOP, stakeholder liaison, academic support, and a platform to build partnerships with other TVET colleges and academic institutions.

FP&M Seta CEO Felleng Yende told the gathering that the centre would serve as focus point for PPOP projects which have already been funded to the tune of R3.25 million since 2015.

“Today I can proudly say that more than 300 people have registered and are training to receive the National [Vocational] Certificate in Pulp and Paper.”

She went on to say that despite the advent of the digital era, paper still plays a major role in our daily lives. “For decades, the paper manufacturing industry has contributed greatly to South Africa’s economy, and having been ranked as one of the largest producers of pulp and paper in the world, this industry continues to benefit our people tremendously.”

Ursula Henneberry, operations director of the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA), reiterated the importance of education, not only for individual development but for the economy and society as a whole.

“The Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence showcases collaboration, partnership and the goal of excellence in education and makes access to education for current and future industry employees easier. It gives them a place to learn, to grow and to excel.“

The ever growing importance of recycling as a supplier of fibre to the paper-making industry is underlined by the fact that The Paper Recycling Association Of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA) has trained more than 5,000 people through its entrepreneurship courses and enjoys the full collaboration and support of the FP&M Seta.

The Paper Recycling Association Of South Africa

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The Minister plans to launch an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile a mathematics development project involving thousands of South African maths educators and over four million learners is under way – using the medium of paper.

The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) along with the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA) and the professional education and curriculum development organisation, SATeacher, launched a teacher-training project in 2012 which incorporates a paper and recycling component into the Foundation and Intersen Phase school curriculum.

The programme, which has the approval of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), shows educators how to make use of simple and inexpensive paper-based resources like paper plates and cut-outs so they can make maths concepts more tangible for the learner.

Teaching minus paper equals a problem

“As the world continues to push aside paper and schools replace textbooks with tablets, our learners suffer the consequences, and not just in mathematics,” says Jane Molony, PAMSA executive director. She adds that studies into paper and digital learning are beginning to reveal that the tactile experience of paper-based materials promote better comprehension and information retention.

SATeacher co-founder and director Liezel Blom explains. “The mistake we often make is to get children to memorise maths; we then test this memorisation.” For example, memory counting from one to 20 does not prove that the learner grasps the concept of one object versus 20.

“For there to be a deep understanding and connection with maths, we need to be practical – using our brains, eyes, hands and fingers – which is why we use the concrete-representational-abstractⁱ method,” says Liezel.

Educators are also provided with printed DBE and SATeacher workbooks, lesson plans and guidelines for easy-to-make paper resources. “All of the resources share the message that paper is renewable and recyclable,” adds Molony.

The potential is exponential

A Gauteng-focused pilot phase in 2012 reached 1,726 schools, 40,000 educators and 1,25 million Grade R to Seven learners. In 2014, the programme was rolled out to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, reaching a collective 5,857 schools and a further 195 schools in Gauteng. In total, it has included more than 130,000 educators and four million learners in three years.

“Each educator trained has the potential to reach at least 20 learners,” says Molony who adds that many of the workshops during the year were over-subscribed. “We hope that through the continued support of the Department of Basic Education and our industry members we can take this programme to new levels.”

Ends

^{i –} CONCRETE-REPRESENTATIONAL-ABSTRACT METHOD

• Concrete materials such as counters, unifix cubes, blocks, beans, sticks and stones can be used. To this end, SATeacher provides paper cut-outs at the back of each workbook.
• Representational materials could be semi-concrete in the form of dominoes, dice or pictures of cards and semi-abstract which involves the drawing of a particular number of pictures or shapes. “This level is not always dealt with in-depth in our schools in SA and without paper resources, this level of understanding is almost impossible,” says Liezel. “In the workbooks provide cut-outs at the back of the workbook and opportunity for learners to use pictures to solve problems.”
• After the learners have mastered the two previous levels we can move to the abstract level, using only numbers and mathematical symbols. The workbooks provide input for teachers to demonstrate each concept. Liezel reiterates that without paper resources, these concepts are very difficult to explain.

PAMSA has been promoting the interests and efforts of the South African pulp and paper industry since 1992. It provides a forum for the development and presentation of common views on pre-competitive industry issues, and engages stakeholders on matters of legislation, skills upliftment, education, research, environment, sustainability, and recycling.  PAMSA, which currently represents more than 90% of the paper manufacturers in South Africa, is involved in numerous activities which are governed by an annual general meeting for members.  Any employer involved in the manufacture of pulp, paper, board, tissue and recycled paper may hold PAMSA membership. www.thepaperstory.co.za | @PaperRocks_SA

RecyclePaperZA is an industry association representing processors and manufacturers of recycled paper fibre. Allied to the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa, RecyclePaperZA seeks to promote a culture of recycling by driving education and awareness programmes within schools and engaging with business and government.

SATeacher was founded by Dreyer Lötter and Liezel Blom in 2003 to focus on the professional development of teachers in South Africa. This gave rise to develop structured teaching plans and resources, based on the South African curriculum. To date SATeacher developed and published hundreds of titles and the materials are used in every school in South Africa. www.sateacher.co.za | facebook.com/SATeacher

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From the use of fluting and board for packaging food, tissue and cellulose in hygiene products, to the various types of paper used for schoolbooks, street-side posters, movie tickets and the latest edition of Manufacturing SA, paper is very much a part of our everyday lives.

Pulp, paper and the economy

According to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Industrial Policy Action Plan of February 2011, the forestry, timber, paper and pulp business has the potential to contribute greatly to rural and economic development by contributing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and creating job and income generation opportunities in poor rural communities. These industries accounted for 170,000 jobs in 2008 and forestry’s contribution to the GDP was 1,1% in 2009. Product exports came to R12,5 billion while imports totalled R9,6 billion.

During 2009, the manufacturing value-add was R23 billion, equating to 1,4% of the GDP, with the manufacturing employment figure reported as 207,967 people. The sector’s contribution to the country’s balance of trade was R3,1 billion.

According to the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), the industry has been making a steady recovery since the 2008 recession which resulted in a decline in pulp and paper demand, driven mostly by packaging and tissue grades.

Imports for paper and packaging grades (except for tissue products) continue to rise strongly, showing a 28% increase since 2006, outstripping domestic production which has declined by about 4%. This is partly due to the relatively strong rand in recent years. The lack of trade tariffs also make South Africa an easy target for dumping which, even when not in great quantities, disrupts local markets with the introduction of unsustainable pricing points.

Improving efficiency, investing in local capability and reducing environmental impact

Industry players – with a combined asset value in excess of R21 billion –  continue to invest in research and development, operational improvements and process optimisation, not only to meet the needs of their customers but to ensure the sector remains sustainable and reduces its environmental footprint.

A recent example is the planned upgrade and modernisation of Sappi’s Ngodwana mill which will generate an additional 210,000 tons per annum of chemical cellulose boosting Sappi’s total output to over a million tons per year. The improvements promise greater energy and chemical efficiency as well as a reduction in effluent and odour levels.

As part of its five-year expansion strategy, Kimberly-Clark South Africa (K-CSA) launched a new diaper machine worth more than R120 million at its Epping mill in Cape Town with a view to growing its production capability by 400 million units per year. The leading technology applied to this asset enables 99% filtration efficiency, environmentally-friendly air generation and a reduction in energy usage.

This is K-CSA’s second major investment in two years and follows the launch of its premium tissue converting line at its Enstra mill in Springs. The new machine has created jobs for 65 people.

Significant investment has been made into speciality coating for paper packaging grades over the years, especially by Mpact Limited (formerly Mondi Packaging South Africa). Mpact Limited developed a strong research and development focus in partnership with Stellenbosch University where polymer research was undertaken to enhance products for niche markets. The development of recyclable coating was one of the successes of the partnership.

Energy

The sector is continually devising innovative ways to lower its draw from the national grid. Some 42% of the power used in the paper industry is generated in-house and around 40% comes from renewable fuels. In addition, the paper manufacturing industry has invested significant resources and skills into combined heat and power generation technologies and the reduction of CO₂ emissions.  With the hosting of COP17 in Durban in December 2011, it remains focussed on addressing its impact on the environment and its commitment to sustainable development.

An independent study published by the Confederation of European Paper Industries shows that ‘using wood as a resource for paper products first, and only using it as a source of energy at the end of the product life cycle, adds four times more value to the economy and retains six times as many jobs than simply burning wood for energy’. For this reason, the sector promotes fibre for paper before fibre for fuel.

A wealth in waste

Paper recycling is a strategic imperative for the industry.  Ursula Henneberry, operations director for the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA), notes that a major challenge is the recovery of paper from homes and businesses. The recovery rate of available paper* in South Africa is approximately 58% (*Not all paper can be recycled, for example, toilet tissue and wax paper). “We need to increase this to more than 61% by 2015,” she says.

With 65% of recovered paper used as raw material in paper mills, more than half of the country’s paper mills depend on recycled fibre and many of them use it as their only fibre source.

Paper can be recycled at least seven times and for every one metric ton of paper recycled, three  cubic metres of landfill is saved. Further to this, paper recovery and recycling reduces costs to local municipal authorities, decreases the need to import raw materials and frees up space at landfill sites.

Recycling also contributes to poverty alleviation with a vast network of informal collectors sourcing paper from domestic waste and refuse dumps and selling on to recycling centres. In partnership with the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), RecyclePaperZA has established entrepreneurship training courses aimed at assisting people to set up small recycling businesses. To date, 151 people have been trained in Johannesburg, Potchefstroom, Port Shepstone and Durban.

“The potential for further investment is massive but only if we can guarantee recovery rates,” says Henneberry. “We desperately need the support and commitment of local, provincial and national government.”

Pitting paper against digital communication

Contrary to popular belief, paper and print are renewable and recyclable and thus have a distinct advantage over electronic and digital mediums which use new and additional energy every time they are opened or read from a computer screen.

Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the Government Economic Service in the United Kingdom (UK), released the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change in 2006. This tackled the effects of climate change and global warming on the world economy. His 700-page document is the perfect example of how paper and print have a better environmental footprint than electronic communications. (Source: Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, 2006)

Investment in the future of paper

While the country’s principal paper manufacturers focus on applied research within their own centres, they also fund fundamental and academic research at tertiary institutions.

The industry provides numerous opportunities for young people to follow a career in the fast-paced world of forestry, pulp, paper and packaging.

Through the Umfolozi and Ekurhuleni East Further Education and Training colleges, PAMSA offers a National Certificate (Vocational) qualification in process plant operations and pulp and papermaking technology from levels two to four. The NCV 4 qualification, equivalent to a matric, offers learners university exemption on completion.

The pulp and paper industry, in conjunction with the FP&M SETA, has developed qualifications and learnerships in a range of fields. At national level, degrees in forestry are offered by several universities. UNISA and the Durban University of Technology offer a National Diploma in Pulp and Paper Technology.

The industry, through PAMSA, spends R1 million a year on precompetitive research. Its Process Research Unit facilitates bursaries for post-graduate BSc chemical engineering students to take their studies to a Masters level.

Busting the myths

In South Africa, and in many parts of the world, paper is produced from sustainably farmed trees – just as we plant corn for our cereals, wheat for our bread and tea for our morning ‘cuppa’. The majority of the 1.6 million hectares of trees are planted for specific use as pulp and paper, with some timber being reserved for mining support, poles and furniture. One-and-a-half saplings are planted to replace every tree harvested. Trees are thus a renewable resource and commercial plantations and natural forests absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

Interestingly, plantations only use 1% of the land in this country and only 3% of the water compared with other forms of agriculture which use 80% of the land and 62% of the water. Further downstream, pulp and paper manufacturers have initiated water re-recycling technology to reduce the industry’s water footprint.

It was the former chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, Jonathan Porritt, who said, “There aren’t many industries around that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The pulp and paper industry, however, is one of them. At its best, this industry is inherently sustainable.’’

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“The pulp, paper and packaging industry is brimming with opportunity, especially in the areas of research into green and sustainable energy technologies, innovative processes and how we can explore the potential of one of our world’s most natural and renewable resources – the tree,” says Mike Nash, head of PAMSA’s Process Research Unit.

Successful candidates will gain advanced skills during their post-graduate training in fields such as wood science, chemical analysis, separation techniques and material and energy balances. Not only will they have access to an industrial mentor during their studies, but they will be placed in an engineer-in-training programme at one of PAMSA’s member companies.

Dirk Postma completed his MSc at the University of Stellenbosch’s Department of Process Engineering, focusing on the modification of hemicelluloses using chemical and physical methods for use in the pulp and paper industry.

“PAMSA and SAPPI opened my eyes to the interesting world of the pulp and paper and offered me a great opportunity to learn from people who have had decades of experience in the industry,” he says.

Stephen Swart, who completed his MSc in chemical engineering through the University of Pretoria, obtained valuable experience in both the research and industrial environment as his MSc project involved the design, construction and commissioning of a novel system for the production of a renewable liquid fuel at the University of Pretoria. This project is a collaborative effort between the university and the United States Department of Agriculture which has the potential of becoming a commercial operation.

“I was given the opportunity to attend and present my work at several conferences in South Africa and around the world,” says Swart.

Applications are welcome from post-graduate chemical engineering students who meet the following requirements:

• BScEng (chemical engineering) candidates interested in enrolling for MScEng studies in fields that satisfy the aims of the pulp, paper and packaging industry.
• A good academic record with a minimum 60% average in the final year of study.
• Applicants must have completed their studies in five years or less.
• Candidates should indicate their areas of interest. For example, energy efficiency, renewable energy and biopolymers.

“The unit, which has formed partnerships with the universities of Stellenbosch, Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal, is focused on developing some fundamental research thrusts to further unlock the potential of paper in all its forms,” adds Nash.

These will most likely be in areas that will ‘unlock’ the potential of the biomass used as a feedstock as well as developing new and innovative final products to the consumer. These relate particlularly to the development of cellulose into new disciplines or products, including bio-plastics, nano products and smart packaging.

PAMSA’s Process Research Unit was formed to develop, manage and expand a regional research initiative and further support, promote and improve the sustainability of the local pulp, paper and packaging industry.

Apart from its bursary programme, the unit coordinates research for the development of processes to efficiently utilise biomass feedstock (trees) for conversion to bio-products (paper and chemicals) and energy with minimal environmental impact and seeks to develop academic/research centres of excellence, both locally and abroad. It also engages in collaborative partnerships with industry and government agencies.

“We plan to expand our reach to other South African institutions, depending on the field of study being followed and the institution’s expertise in that field. We also plan to include overseas institutions into the mix,” explains Nash.

Applications – which should include a full CV and a motivation letter – can be directed to:

Patti Webster

patti.webster[@]pamsa.co.za

Tel: +27 (0) 11 803 5063

Fax: +27 (0) 11 803 6708

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