HPE Africa’s Hyundai range benefits the recycling industry in SA  

Industrial recycling expert Envirocycle is expanding its existing fleet of heavy-duty vehicles by increasing its range of Hyundai excavators, which are exclusively supplied in the local market by High Power Equipment (HPE) Africa.

(Date), 2012: Leading scrap metal merchant and recycling specialist Envirocycle has become recognised as an nationwide-leader in the disposal of ferrous metal, non-ferrous metal and industrial waste, by making use of a range of specially-modified Hyundai excavators supplied by HPE Africa – the sole distributor of Hyundai earthmoving equipment in Southern Africa.

Due to the constant increase in population and the subsequent expansion of industries and a rise in waste products, Envirocycle executive director Stefan Pretorius stresses that recycling is a critical and essential part of modern life in South Africa and worldwide. “It is the responsibility of large and small companies to handle their volumes of waste in a manner that ensures a large proportion can be salvaged and reused. It is important that hazardous waste is dealt with safely by professional organisations with the correct equipment and training to deal with these dangerous materials,” he explains. “Dealing with hazardous waste in the correct manner is of critical importance for the preservation of the environment, and therefore safety of society as a whole.”

Envirocycle’s fleet of 40 heavy-duty transport vehicles currently consists of one Hyundai R360LC-7 tracked excavator, a Hyundai R220LC-9 excavator and two Hyundai R210LC-7 tracked excavators. Pretorius points out that following the successful performance of the machines, the company has placed an order for an additional two R220LC-9 excavators and a second-hand HL740-7 wheel loader, which are due to be delivered in March 2012.

“The quality and reliability of the Hyundai range in challenging operating conditions has proven to be highly-reliable and, as a result, we have placed the new orders as a matter of urgency. What’s more, the excellent after-sales and technical support offered by HPE Africa ensures that we are provided with the peace-of-mind that any issues will be dealt with swiftly and effectively,” he explains.

HPE Africa national service manager Hein Stander notes that HPE Africa prides itself on its reputation for customer service: “HPE Africa endeavours to ensure that it is always available to offer a personalised and tailor-made service for each of its individual clients. We have dedicated 24-hour telephone numbers for our parts and field service departments, in order to ensure that the customers receive the exact service that they deserve on an around-the-clock basis.”

Stander adds that all Hyundai excavators can very easily be fitted with auxiliary piping, which ensures that Envirocycle is able to easily fit the claws for picking up scrap. “Thanks to the option of auxiliary piping on the entire Hyundai range, the user simply has to change the attachment, fit the piping, and finally set the pressure of the pipe for the claw. An HPE Africa technical team can complete this simple process in a short period of time,” he continues.

Pretorius notes that Envirocycle is one of only a few dealers in South Africa trading in all recyclable products, which include; ferrous and non-ferrous metal, plastic, paper, glass and general waste.

“Envirocycle continually endeavours to conduct all operations in an environmentally-friendly manner, by making use of a variety of machinery that includes excavator-mounted grabs and magnets, high and low-density steel balers, cardboard and plastic balers, shears, croppers and manual gas cutters.  The final product is then transported to local partners, or packed onsite for the export market to ensure a steady supply of material for all industrial sectors.”

Pretorius adds that ferrous metals such as iron and steel are among the most widely recycled materials locally and internationally, due to the ease with which they can be reprocessed for use. “A notable advantage of steel is that any grade of the material can be reworked entirely without suffering any degradation in quality. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminium are also a popular recycled material, as they can also be recycled without degradation, and are reusable indefinitely.”

Pretorius believes that Envirocycle sets itself apart from the competition due to the fact that it offers a highly-efficient waste removal service, which is free-of-charge if the waste is not collected within two working days from receipt of instruction. 

“All non-recyclable products are delivered to a designated municipal refuse site, while hazardous waste removal is contracted to a third party approved by Envirocycle, who closely monitors the performance. Weighbridge tickets are issued for all loads entering or leaving our yards, and grading is carried out at the weighbridge when the load enters, and is again confirmed upon offloading,” he explains. “Furthermore, our entire fleet is managed via satellite tracking to ensure that all our suppliers’ products arrive and are delivered to the correct certified weighbridge, by making use of the Lariat recycling software package, which ensures that the declared and captured weight cannot be tampered with.”

Envirocycle is a family-owned business that was established in 1981 as a recycling and disposal enterprise, and has since grown into one of the largest dealers in South Africa, specialising in ferrous metal, non-Ferrous metal and waste removal on a national scale. The company has branches in De Wildt, Rustenburg andBrakpan, with suppliers and affiliates throughout South Africa.

Looking to the future, Pretorius is confident that Envirocycle will obtain measurable growth during the course of 2012. “The demand for recycling of waste and materials will continue to rise as more industrial operations look for new methods to decrease their carbon footprint and environmental impact. With more than 30 years of industry experience combined with an unrivalled track record, I am confident that Envirocycle will continue to remain the dealer of choice in this sector. As the need for fleet expansion arises, HPE Africa will remain high on the list of suppliers to Envirocycle, due to the company’s continuous commitment and dedication to product and service excellence,” he concludes.