“Sun Plastics manufactures medium and high-barrier food packaging in Southern Africa, including vacuum bags, lidding films, base films, and dairy packaging built for local conditions.”

The dairy industry across Southern Africa is evolving, and so are the packaging demands that come with it. At Sun Plastics, we have been on a deliberate journey to develop barrier film and flexible packaging solutions that genuinely serve this industry. This is where we are in that journey, and what we are seeing in the market right now.

A market with rising expectations

Across the food packaging industry, the bar keeps rising. Retailers and consumers expect longer shelf life, better product visibility, and packaging that performs under real transport and storage conditions. In dairy specifically, this puts enormous pressure on the technical performance of every film used, from maturation through to the point of sale.

Flexible packaging continues to lead the way in food packaging across Southern Africa, valued for its durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness across a wide range of dairy applications, including cheese, yoghurt, and processed dairy formats. Within this, medium- and high-barrier flexible packaging has become a non-negotiable for producers who need to protect product integrity from the factory floor to the consumer.

Our journey into dairy packaging

A few years ago, Sun Plastics made a deliberate decision to invest in barrier film development for the cheese and dairy industry in Southern Africa. It was not a quick process. R&D takes time, trials demand patience, and entering a market with established players requires consistency and a genuine willingness to learn.

What became clear early on was that dairy packaging is not one-size-fits-all. Each stage of production, maturation, cutting, portioning, and retail packaging carries its own technical requirements. Getting it right meant understanding those requirements from the inside, not just supplying a film and stepping back.

There were challenges along the way. But those challenges led to real improvements in our material constructions, our production processes, and the way we work with clients. We had to earn our place in this market, and we continue to do so.

Dairy & Food Packaging Solutions for Southern Africa

Through this process, we have developed a focused product range built specifically around the needs of dairy producers.

Cheese Maturation Bags

Purpose-built for the ageing process, our cheese maturation bags are available in medium (PA) or high (EVOH) barrier options and can be custom-sized to fit your machinery. A spine and K-seal design adds structural integrity, supporting longer maturation periods while retaining aroma and ensuring freshness. Our high barrier option provides a minimum 12-month shelf life, with strong puncture resistance and reliable gas and moisture barrier performance, with easy handling and no sagging.

Base films

Our speciality base films are engineered for deep draw thermoforming applications, available in 7-layer and 9-layer PA/EVOH/PE constructions. Designed for dairy, meat, seafood, and ready meals, these films offer excellent drawdown, strong mechanical properties, and maintain performance even at freezing temperatures. High, medium, and low barrier options are available, with customisable barrier structures and excellent clarity for retail presentation.

Lidding Films

Our PA/EVOH-based 7-layer barrier lidding films are formulated for use on thermoforming form-fill-seal lines and ready-made trays. Available in laminated and plain film options, they deliver strong seal integrity, hot tack performance, and high barrier protection against gas and moisture. Anti-fog and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) compatibility make these well-suited to retail dairy environments where product visibility and shelf life matter.

Form, Fill and Seal Films

Engineered for high-speed automated packaging lines, our form, fill and seal films offer excellent machinability, reliable seal integrity, and consistent product protection for fresh, frozen, and dry dairy formats. Customisable configurations mean these films can be tailored to vertical and horizontal equipment, a practical choice for dairy producers operating at scale.

How we work with our clients

Our growth in this sector has not happened in isolation. The partnerships we have built along the way have shaped us as much as the R&D has. When a new client transitions to Sun Plastics packaging, a member of our team goes directly to the client’s facility to assist throughout the trial process, from sealing and material integrity testing to road trials and live production approvals. We believe being present and hands-on is the only way to ensure that every step genuinely serves both the packaging and the product. It is an approach that makes transitions smoother and builds the kind of working relationship that lasts.

Serving Southern Africa from the ground up

The global dairy packaging market is projected to grow significantly through 2034 (Insights, 2025), and Southern Africa is part of that story. As dairy producers in this region face increasing pressure to improve packaging performance, shelf life, and cost efficiency, locally produced flexible packaging solutions have a real role to play.

Sun Plastics operates a modern production facility in Botswana using a national warehousing and distribution network in South Africa, serviced by our trucks coming in from Gaborone in Botswana. That footprint means we can serve clients across the region with shorter lead times, reduced logistical costs, and direct on-the-ground support, without the delays and uncertainty that come with importing packaging from overseas.

We are invested in the long game, committed to our materials, our team, and our client relationships, so that we can keep growing alongside the industry we serve.

If you are a dairy producer in South Africa looking for vacuum bags, base films, lidding films, or form, fill and seal packaging solutions, we would welcome the conversation.

Get in touch with Sun Plastics for vacuum bags and food packaging across Southern Africa.

Sun Plastics is a flexible packaging manufacturer based in Southern Africa, specialising in medium and high barrier films, cheese maturation bags, lidding films, base films, form fill and seal films, and food packaging solutions for the dairy and broader food industry. With a factory in Botswana and warehouses in Germiston and Gaborone, we are positioned to serve clients across the region.

Bibliography

Insights, G. M. (2025, January). Dairy Packaging Market Size & Share 2025-2034. Retrieved from Global Market Insights: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/dairy-packaging-market

The post How Sun Plastics is Growing with the Dairy Industry in Southern Africa appeared first on Sun Plastics.

The International Context

The international trade of plastic products is considerable. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (4), plastics trade would be the 4th largest exporter in the world if it were its own country.

“It would take 18.4 million trucks, each carrying 20 tons, to deliver the 369 million metric tons of plastics exported in 2021. The queue of trucks would wrap around the globe 13 times” (4).

As shocking as it sounds, this does not only constitute the trade of virgin plastics/finished goods. Due to global inequality, a significant percentage of plastic waste is exported as well. In fact, developed countries are responsible for 80% of the global waste trade, which ends up in developing countries who are unable to manage this waste appropriately (4). However, if each country was responsible for processing their own waste, then there might be a shift towards more efficient production, reduced consumption, as well as improved waste management.

The Local Context

In South Africa, the plastics’ industry is predominantly focussed on the packaging sector. According to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (2), plastic packaging accounts for 52% of the local market, but there is still a short supply of polyethylene blends such as PE-LD, PE-LLD and PE-HD. The DTIC also reports a trade deficit, which includes low value plastic imports as well as the importation of finished goods that have the same construction as goods that are exported. While we rely heavily on cheap imports, we stifle the opportunity for domestic growth of the plastics manufacturing sector.

Two of the five key areas for growth (2) can be addressed by Sun Plastics: food packaging and medical products. With capabilities for both mono-layer and coextruded barrier films, Sun Plastics has the expertise and technology to target these areas effectively. In addition, we are a level 2 contributor to B- BBEE and hold an ‘A-rating’ for BRC accreditation. Therefore, our areas of expertise can help develop 2 areas of growth in the packaging sector, our business activities and management structure have a positive effect on socio-economic indicators, and we have yearly audits to ensure our production methods meet international standards.

Certification is based on the following:

Manufacturing of flexible laminates using PE, PA, APPEEL, BOPP (transparent, metallized, pearlized), PET (transparent, metallized), CPP, aluminium foil by blown film extrusion (7 layer), Printing (CI Flexography), Solvent Less Lamination, Slitting in rolls, bags and pouch and shrink films using PE by blown film extrusion (7 layer) for use in food and non-food applications.

When we say ‘local’, we mean local to the region as sourcing material from Botswana is very different to imports from overseas. Our market research shows that the main overseas sources are Israel, Turkey, China, and Russia; the minimum distance would be at least 10 000km. However, Gaborone’s link to several major cities in Southern Africa is a lot shorter:

• Johannesburg, South Africa – 370km
• Windhoek, Namibia – 1100km
• Harare, Zimbabwe – 1070km
• Maputo, Mozambique – 890km

The benefits are not based on distance and carbon footprint alone. Being members of the Southern African Development Community (3) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (1) means that there are more incentives for localised trade, such as reduced trade barriers, regional integration, and sustainable development.

For all your biodegradable plastic packaging solutions for your business or personal use, get in touch with Sun Plastics. We have a wide range of sustainable packaging solutions to suit your needs. Contact us today.

References

1. Africa Business. (2017). What you need to know about the African Continental Free Trade Area. https://african.business/2022/02/trade-investment/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-african-continental-free-trade-area

2. Department: Trade, Industry and Competition Republic of South Africa. (n.d.). Plastics. http://www.thedtic.gov.za/sectors-and-services-2/industrial-development/plastics/

3. Southern African Development Community. (n.d.). The main aim is to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, to alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of South Africa. https://www.sadc.int/

4. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2022). Global plastics trade hits record $1.2 trillion. https://unctad.org/data-visualization/global-plastics-trade-reached-nearly-1.2-trillion-2021

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According to National Geographic about 80% of that pollution and trash originates from land sources – “littering, storm winds, and poor waste management”. This illustrates that our biggest problem is not necessarily the existence of plastic but rather how to manage it responsibly after we have disposed of it. What makes this even more complicated is how easy plastic is to produce, as well as its durability and barrier properties. A product that has become such an integral part of our ecosystem but can have such a detrimental impact if not managed effectively. It is a tragic issue to face as humanity attempts to balance the demands of a growing population with sufficient waste management infrastructure and services. For lack of a better word, it’s unsustainable.

Possible solutions

However, it is not all doom and gloom. In our previous theme on the EPR levy, we noted a great push for investment in the recycling industry that would help address these issues. By increasing the flow of recyclable products into the recycling stream, we can keep the value of these materials in circulation and reduce unnecessary landfill dumping. Other products, such as refuse bags, could be redesigned as they are certainly destined for landfill and no innovative end-of-life management exist. There is a case to argue that they should be converted to biodegradable variants – certified according to international standards. Therefore, our waste management becomes dynamic: diverting as much as possible from landfills but also creating ways in which to reduce landfill mass.

That simple right? Not just yet

One should also consider the complex constructions; the multi-layer plastics that aren’t currently or readily recyclable (e.g., resin code #7). These could be co-extruded materials like vacuum bags or thermoforming film, that are based on a polyethylene (PE) and nylon (PA) blend. While it has been long understood that these materials are not recyclable, new evidence has come to light that suggests the contrary. BASF, a multinational chemical manufacturer, conducted a study earlier this year where they attempted to investigate the potential to recycle a PE/PA mixture. The paper titled ‘Coextruded PE/PA multilayer films are recyclable!’ revealed that certain requirements would need to be met (e.g., the ratio of the blend as well as additives) but that this combination is ultimately recyclable.

However, in saying that, both the technology and infrastructure need to be available to process the material effectively. This isn’t possible within South Africa according to several sources. The same could be said for bioplastics, both biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Both of which require specific end-of-life conditions for effective waste management. Also, “despite numerous academic research efforts to promote the application of biodegradable polymers in packaging, there are few bio-based/biodegradable polymers in the market that can meet the high demand for food packaging within modern society”. (Wu, Misra, and Mohanty, 2: 2021).

Taking the above into consideration, Sun Plastics is continuously looking at ways in which we can add value. Whether this is providing high-quality barrier film and biodegradable variants according to the most effective market segments, or through the research and information supplied through our marketing programme. We want to be up to date with what’s happening in the market, and we want our customers to be well-informed.

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Although Sun Plastics has the capabilities to produce a range of flexible plastic products, we focus on manufacturing high-quality barrier films for several applications such as food and medical products. Therefore, to help one navigate EPR, Sun Plastics have noted a few points that we hope will assist both the consumer as well as the product manufacturer. Having a better grasp of the packaging in use can have a positive influence on economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Here are 3 points to consider:

• 1. Know your material
  

  Plastic packaging comes in various shapes, forms, and sizes; some are easily recyclable while others are not. The number on the packing (1-7) is the resin code, which helps consumers assess the construction and how the waste is to be disposed of (i.e., either in your recycling bag or in your refuse bag destined for landfill). Plastics SA reports that numbers 1-6 are currently recycled in South Africa, but most recycling centres are only equipped to process #1, #2, #4, #5, #6 according to the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO). Luckily, food manufacturers/retail brands such as Woolworths are making it easier for their customers, by correctly labelling the various components of their packaging with “widely recycled in SA” or “not currently recycled”. While that is helpful in terms of waste management, it is up to us as packaging manufacturers to constantly explore how we can lead the market in product innovation and sustainable development.

• 2. Know your application
  

  Due to our production of specialized barrier films, Sun Plastics currently focuses on coextruded and laminated materials – resin code #7. These products are necessary as they are puncture-resistant, have increased barrier properties against moisture and air, and are also converted into various ways for our customers’ application requirements. This could be rolls for FFS (form, fill, and seal) and thermoforming (I.e., meat and cheese) systems, or even in various sized pouches/bags. All these constructions can be tweaked and printed to specific requirements however, it is important to know what these requirements are. For example, our R&D has shown us that there are industries that may rely heavily on EVOH – which is a high barrier resin – even though they only require a much shorter shelf-life. The consequence of this could be an increased cost, the reliance on a rare material, or even the increase of product weight due to the construction. One should take all of these things into consideration as an increase in weight would mean more plastic in use and a higher levy.

• 3. Know your thickness requirements

  Although quite similar to the previous point, it would also be important to ensure that you are using the right micron/thickness material. By “right” we mean using a material that offers all the barrier properties and durability that you require, but that has the right thickness to achieve this. Sun Plastics can assist; taking your current spec and application, we can conduct the relevant trials to ensure that your product is suitably packaged and that you aren’t paying more than you should. For example, a medium sized company using an additional 20 micron in one variant could see an additional cost of R60 000 per year.

Having a better grasp of the packaging in use can have a positive influence on economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Get in touch with Sun Plastics for innovative, and advanced barrier flexible packaging.

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