Marathon champion Frank Fredericks has set up in Okahandja a technological advancement that was once confined to European countries. Fredrick and a fellow businessman have set up a plastic recycling plant in Okahandja where they recycle all kinds of plastics. Namibia Polymer Recyclers (NPR) was officially opened by the Minister of Environment and Tourism Willem Konjore this week.

Minister Willem Konjore (left) and Harry Erasmus, managing director of Plastic Packaging, tour the Namibia Polymer Recyclers plant in Okahandja. On the background are Frank Fredericks and Sidney Martin.

The plant recycles plastic bags, crates, bottles, basically anything made of plastics. The recycled material is sold to Plastic Packaging, a mother company based in Windhoek.
Plastic Packaging uses the material to manufacture black plastic, water pipes, black refuse bags, water drums and many other plastic materials.
The company is jointly owned by Fredericks, Sidney Martin, Harry Erasmus, Theo Saunderson, together with the company executive management.
At the NPR plant in Okahandja are three lines on which the plastic waste is fed through for recycling. The plastic is sourced from various suppliers who collect the waste from the general public. The factory churns out between 150 and 200 tons of plastics per month.
NPR is encouraging young Namibians to become entrepreneurs in the plastic recycling business by collecting waste plastic and selling it to NPR.
There are currently four suppliers of waste plastics. In Windhoek it is Rent-A-Drum, Move a Mess and Kleentek with Westcoast Recycler in the coastal towns. Plastic Packaging has branches in southern Angola, in Lubango and Benguela, as well as in Upington branch which supply the Northern Cape.