Nampak Plastics: Maximising Efficiencies Nampak Plastics Europe is a leader in the manufacture of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) (bottles for the dairy industry. The company has nine sites across the UK and opened its Northern Ireland facility in 2010 creating 20 new jobs in the Ballymena area. With investment from Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund the plant is the first blow moulding in-plant facility in Northern Ireland. Strategically located on the Dale Farm Pennybridge site another important feature of this facility is through the wall manufacturing which takes bottles straight from the bottle manufacturing process to the filling line. This dramatically reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions. The plant currently manufactures 78 million bottles per year. During the manufacturing process a significant quantity of hard plastic head waste is produced along with a small quantity of off spec product. A similar quantity of single use LDPE plastic wrapping material is also discarded. Due to strict quality specifications these materials were unsuitable for onsite recycling. Nampak needed to find a local costefficient solution for these materials to avoid landfill charges. Following attendance at an Industrial Symbiosis Synergy workshop in September 2010 Nampak became the 1000th member of the Industrial Symbiosis Service. An Industrial Symbiosis Practitioner met with Nampak and introduced them to Waste Not Ireland based in Ballymoney. Waste Not Ireland provide a range of waste collection and recycling services for dry recyclables including plastics. Following a short period of negotiation Waste Not Ireland was able to provide a local tailor-made service for Nampak and has established recycling outlets for these materials ensuring they avoid going to landfill. This is an ongoing synergy which has created mutually profitable solutions for the companies involved. The figures below are actual savings which have been achieved over a period of 6 months. Further savings will be made as the relationship between these two companies continues. Additional Sales: 6,948 Cost Savings: 1,400 CO2 reduction: 179t Landfill diversion: 14t. As a major producer of plastics packaging in Europe, Nampak is conscious of its responsibility to the environment, the implications of its products and its own carbon footprint. Using the Industrial Symbiosis network has allowed Nampak's newest site in Pennybridge, Ballymena to make connections with local recyclers. Recycling waste material locally has achieved a further reduction to the carbon footprint for the site. Jonathan McDowell, Plant Manager Nampak Plastics Pennybridge Drawing from the case study of Nampak Plastics Europe, discuss the various sources of idea generation for small businesses, providing specific examples from the case study. How can entrepreneurs identify potential business ideas from their skills, everyday activities, common needs, existing problems, and other sources? In what ways did Jonathan McDowell and his team leverage these sources to drive innovation and growth at Nampak Plastics