The South African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is proud to announce that Omya-Idwala South Africa has become the latest raw material supplier of value-added calcium carbonate and specialty PVC additives to sign up as a member.
Omya-Idwala SA was officially launched on 1 February 2020 after Omya International AG and Idwala Industrial Holdings Ltd. agreed to join forces in order to strengthen their activities in South Africa with regards to the distribution of Calcium Carbonate and Specialty Chemicals. Today, Omya-Idwala SA has offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town from where they provide their customers in the coatings, plastics, paper, inks, adhesives, chemical, homecare, glass and agricultural industries with a one-stop-shop opportunity with high-value services.
According to Natasha de Lange, General Manager of Omya-Idwala SA, it was important for them to join SAVA as this would allow them to remain up to date with the latest innovations and changes taking place in the local and international vinyls industry.
“We are focussed on building a strong platform for future growth in the large and rapidly developing South African market for Specialty Chemicals and value-added Calcium Carbonate products. At the same time, however, we are very aware of the impact our operations have on surrounding communities and on the environment in which our members live and work. We are committed not only to minimising this impact, but to helping to provide ways for the people whose lives we touch to look forward to a better future with wider opportunities. This resonates strongly with SAVA’s focus and Product Stewardship Commitment (PSC) which addresses our industry's environmental issues and sets the standard for safe and responsible manufacturing, use and disposal processes,” Natasha said.
Welcoming them onboard, SAVA CEO Monique Holtzhausen said: “The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of belonging to an industry body such as SAVA. Not only does it offer members a platform to connect, discuss challenges and share knowledge and valuable learnings, but it also provides members with support, stability and a sense of community – all of which are crucial when facing times of uncertainty. We are also noticing that customers and end-markets are increasingly demanding that suppliers demonstrate Extended Producer Responsibility and product stewardship throughout the life cycle of the product concerned. We applaud Omya-Idwala’s decision to join SAVA as proof of their commitment to superior performance and to sustainability”.