Johannesburg - Biodegradable bottles are the future of sustainable and eco-friendly development for the country’s economy and the future, says Nicholas De Beer, CEO of Fortis X.
De Beer is the co-founder of Fortis X, a company that is leading and transforming the packaging industry with its sustainable plant-based bottles made from sugar cane.
Speaking to The Star, De Beer said as the world moved towards a green-powered economy, it was important for innovation to inform the choices of both individuals and organisations within the packaging industry.
De Beer said distribution of South Africa’s first 100% plant-based bottle was receiving support from the packaging industry both locally and internationally, with sales of their plant-based bottles having hit over 10 million bottles in the past two years since the start of production.
This comes after testing of the country’s first fully plant-based bottle began in 2018.
He says since then, the company has been able to progress from testing to production and now manufactures these biodegradable bottles in Cape Town.
De Beer said plastic bottles, which are bad for the environment, have assisted him and his team to innovate and develop plant-based bottles that biodegrade naturally within just 1 to 3 months, which is a significant improvement compared with traditional plastic bottles that take centuries to decompose.
“Usually, you have plastic or glass bottles; this is an innovative way that we have managed to get right where we make plant-based renewable and sustainable plant resources. We are able to take sugar cane, as you know, and Durban is full of sugar cane. We are then able to take the plant and turn it into a material that we can make bottles from.
“What is really exciting is that around the world everybody is sounding the alarm for global warming and climate change. We all need to start becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly. It is really exciting that the raw material here is not petrol, but comes from sugar cane plants,” De Beer said.
De Beer said there was a need to promote and protect the universe, which was why Fortis X had partnered with a few sugar cane farms across the country to ensure responsible agricultural practices, ensuring that their sugar cane is cultivated without artificial stimulants or GMOs.
De Beer said sustainable and eco-friendly practices were not the enemy of job creation, but the driver of sustainable jobs for the future.
“Going the more sustainable route is actually a driver for sustainable job creation. The companies that insist on using fossil fuels will soon be forced to close down their operations. Time is just running out before they have to close down. They will eventually be forced by the laws to close down if they do not heed the call to become more sustainable,” he said.
The Star