New Store in Joburg for Consol Solar Jars

By Carina Borralho

The Consol Solar Jar, in production since 2011, can now be viewed and bought in a variety of styles at a pop-up store at 27 Boxes in Melville, Johannesburg. A range of associated accessories suitable for the home, B&B’s, lodges, functions and events are also on display.

The store, which has been named Bottled Sunshine, showcases the many uses of the locally designed solar jar, that has been manufactured in Johannesburg by Suntoy South Africa.

The pop-up store is open Mondays to Fridays from 10h00 to 18h00, Wednesdays from 10h00 to 21h00 (night markets), Saturdays from 09h00 to 17h00 and Sundays from 9h00 to 16h00.

I spoke to Bradley to get more insight into these energy efficient lighting solutions.

• Why are these jars important to South Africa?

These jars are important because they are proudly manufactured in South Africa, which employs South African citizens. The Consol Solar Jar is also exported overseas, which brings in foreign currency which in turn strengthens our economy and GDP.

• Please briefly discuss the impact this project is having on job creation.

The manufacturing of the Consol Solar Jar currently employs over 55 people, and now with the opening of our concept stores this number will increase significantly.

• Do you use recycled glass?

The sustainability of this product is enhanced as the glass jars are 100% recyclable and on average each Consol Glass jar consists of 35% recycled content, which we get directly from Consol Glass.

• I understand you are targeting the hospitality industry, but do you have plans to service rural communities or places with limited electricity?

Yes, we feel strongly about providing areas with limited supply of electricity, this is why project Khanya with Jacaranda FM and Consol Glass meant so much.

• How much energy can people actually save by using these jars to replace conventional outdoor lighting?

If we had to compare it to outdoor lighting that requires constant electricity from Eskom, there would be a substantial saving, as the jar uses direct sunlight to recharge its battery. 1 hour of sunlight equals 1 hour of light and when fully charged, it can provide a minimum of 12 hours of light. For example, our store Bottled Sunshine uses about 50 Consol Solar Jars with no added lighting needed.

• Do you have some interesting facts about glass?

Making glass requires the correct recipe for a perfect result. Glass starts its life as a range of raw materials combined in a very specific ratio. The recipe calls for:

• sand
• soda ash
• limestone and
• other ingredients, such as iron and carbon which provide colour

Another important ingredient in the glass manufacturing process is cullet or recovered glass, obtained from recycling centres and bottle banks. Cullet usage can vary quite considerably, with as much as 40% utilisation per batch. Its inclusion in production is most important, as it means that less virgin raw materials are used. It also melts at a lower temperature, enabling us to reduce emissions and save energy.

FAST FACTS

DID YOU KNOW

Every 10% increase in recycled glass equals a decrease of:

Bradley Ackermann

082 398 8509

brad@bottledsunshine.co.za

Harald Schulz

074 104 5137

harald@suntoy.co.za

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