PIPA Executive General Manager Cindy Bray spoke to The Australian Pipeliner about the importance of education around plastic pipes.
Plastic pipes have transformed the way we live, delivering essential services and utilities to our homes and communities.
They also play vital roles in protecting the network of wires and cables that deliver internet services and are used in irrigation systems to grow food and protect our communities by carrying away sewerage, rainwater and stormwater.
The Plastic Pipes Industry Association of Australia (PIPA) is a peak industry body representing manufacturers and suppliers of plastic pipes and fittings, resin suppliers, fabricators, installers along with training and certifying bodies.
“The work the association undertakes aligns with our four key pillars – Advocate, Educate, Technical and Sustainability,” PIPA Executive General Manager Cindy Bray said.
“It’s important for the industry that we undertake activities in these key areas to help advance the use of plastic pipes and fittings as a smart, efficient, and sustainable solution.
“It’s especially important at a time when too often the perception of plastics is more negative than positive, despite the important role they play in our everyday lives.”
With the increased focus on reducing environmental footprint and transitioning from a lineal to a circular economy, plastic pipes have many advantages over alternative materials and are increasingly becoming the preferred material of choice to replace and upgrade pipes throughout the world.
Aligning with the key principles of a circular economy, plastic pipes are designed to minimise waste and pollution, to be kept in use for a long time and can be repaired and recycled.
“One of the important features of plastic pipes is their design life – they are intended and designed to last a very long time,” Bray said.
Bray said in typical environmental conditions, plastics materials are well known to last in excess of 100 years. However, plastic pipes remain functional without requiring excess maintenance or repair when used and installed correctly in normal operation over its design lifetime.
Plastic pipes that are buried infrastructure will likely never be dug up even at the end of their long service life.
“Instead, they will likely become a host for a new plastic pipe through trenchless installation, saving huge amounts of energy, resources, significantly reducing the impact to the environment.” Bray said.
Differentiating plastic pipe systems from other plastics
One of the key focus areas for PIPA is to educate on the differences between plastic pipes and fittings to other plastics, like single use.
“Not all plastics are the same and too often plastics pipe systems are mistakenly put in the same category as single use plastics,” Bray said.
“As an industry that converts large volumes of virgin material into long-life products that play a critical role in our homes and communities, it’s important that we educate on this across a wide range of audiences. As the fast majority are all installed underground – generally people don’t think about them.”
To help further educate on the positive use of plastics PIPA has recently launched a digital campaign – That’s using plastic for good.
It differentiates plastic pipes from single use plastic, highlighting the essential role they play. It’s an awareness campaign, targeted to those outside of the industry – differentiating plastic pipes from single use plastic and highlighting the essential role they play in our everyday lives.
PIPA has also partnered up with Cool.org, a company that brings real-world learning into classrooms, and providing free lesson plans that are mapped to relevant year levels and the Australian curriculum. The lessons are centred around environmental, social, and economic sustainability topics.
The lessons developed are designed for Grade 5 to 6 students in the subject of design and technology – focusing on circularity and the good use of plastic. They cover topics such as how pipes are used in everyday lives, circular economy principals and how they apply to plastic pipes, design-thinking, suitability of pipe materials, recycling, and material efficiency.
Industry guidelines
PIPA’s technical guidelines and notes provide further information for industry on relevant topics.
These are accessible on the PIPA website and are developed in collaboration with members, industry professionals and global counterparts.
An example is the recent revision of technical guideline POP003: Butt Fusion Jointing of PE Pipes and Fittings – Recommended Parameters and Practices, which focuses on the importance of correct welding and installation of PE pipes to ensure long service life critical for the pipeline infrastructure.
The first section of the document discusses the recommended parameters and jointing procedures as specified in ISO 21307 Plastic pipes and fittings – Butt Fusion Jointing Procedures for Polyethylene (PE) Pipes and Fittings Used in Construction of Gas and Water Distribution Systems.
This includes the consideration required for the materials and components used, fusion jointing procedure and equipment and the quality assessment of the completed joint.
The second section focuses on best practice for butt fusion jointing.
It provides guidance by identifying the key aspects that should be considered when butt fusing PE pipe and fittings including equipment, operator competence, quality assurance plan, transport, handling and storage, pre-welding inspection, prequalification and pilot welds, fusion parameters, site records, testing and other factors.
“In this new revision of POP003 not only are we providing end users recommended parameters and practices when it comes to butt welding, we have also provided some guidance for procurement and asset owners highlighting the importance of the competency level of the welder for critical assets,” Bray said.
“It’s important for all welding supervisors and operators to be qualified and regularly recertified by a suitable registered training organisation. This can be assisted by specifying minimum competency level requirements in quotes and tenders.”
The use of recycled materials in plastic pipes
With the increased focus on recovering and recycling of materials PIPA has also published a discussion paper on the Use of Recycled Materials in Plastic Pipes.
The paper discusses key points emphasising on the sustainability advantages offered by plastic pipes due to their long service life, how plastic pipes are an engineered product and different from other plastic materials.
It educates on how plastic pipes support the circular economy, with exceptional service life and how most plastic pipes are still in their first life cycle. It also discusses the integrity of our plastic pipeline infrastructure and how its protected by Australian and International Standards, as they specify the properties plastic pipes must have to ensure long lasting durability.
Complementing the release of the discussion paper was Technical Guideline POP208 Specification and Testing Guidelines for recycled materials suitable for non-pressure plastic pipe applications. This guideline focuses on the material properties defining the specification and testing requirements for recycled post-consumer material.
“It’s critical for pipes manufactured with recycled content must conform to the relevant Australia Product Standards, just as pipes manufactured from virgin materials do,” Bray said.
“This is particularly important in infrastructure applications where reliable performance and long service life are primary considerations. Plastic pipes must be fit for purpose, regardless of their composition.”
There is already now capacity to increase the use of recycled material across a range of non-pressure pipe products when suitable waste stream volumes become available – the industry already has the solution.
“By using resources responsibly through better design, we’re working smarter,” Bray said.
“We’re committed and we’re working towards creating a healthier environment and sustainable future.”
For more information visit www.pipa.com.au.
This article featured in the November edition of The Australian Pipeliner.
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