Mpact Waste Management creates a true circular economy for Westfalia Fruit

Earlier this year, Mpact Waste Management tailored and re-engineered our on-site waste management solutions to provide an income stream for clients and for the waste management portfolio within the Mpact Group.

In April 2022, the business secured a contract to manage the distribution centre site of Westfalia, a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit in Gauteng. This was achieved by pulling together our expertise (under our previous name, Remade Recycling) and Mpact Recycling, with the ultimate focus being to both deliver an expert service to the client and deliver a steady stream of good quality recycled material to our own Mpact mills.

A closed loop system

Given that the fruit exporting business has a strong focus on product innovation, eco-friendly packaging and other sustainability initiatives, Mpact rose to the challenge to develop innovative solutions to ensure a complete closed loop system for this company’s recyclables as well as its organic, compostable waste.

The refined strategy aimed to consistently deliver commercial waste management solutions, using expert skillsets from both Mpact Recycling and Mpact Waste Management. Securing the contract resulted in a true example of the circular economy within the Mpact Group.

Westfalia is a customer of Mpact Corrugated, part of the Mpact Group, that purchases boxes to package their avocados. Mpact Corrugated introduced Westfalia to Mpact Waste Management.

Mpact Corrugated produces and sells the corrugated packaging to Westfalia. Mpact Waste Management purchases the K4 from Westfalia and sells it onto the Mpact Paper mills. The mills use the K4 in the production of new containerboard reels which are then sold onto the Corrugated division. It is then finally made into more corrugated packaging, and once again sold to Westfalia to package their avocados.

Once Mpact Waste Management was awarded the Westfalia contract, the loop was closed.

A circular economy

In the first month of operating, an optimum recycling rate had already been achieved.

From the Westfalia site in Midrand the material then gets transported to our branch in Midrand where it is baled. From there it is onto the Mpact Paper mill in Springs, who produce paper reels for the packaging industry.

These reels also go onto Mpact Corrugated which ultimately means that Westfalia’s unused and recycled boxes get into the recycling stream quicker and will make their way back to Westfalia.

A well-co-ordinated effort

As part of its contract, we also conducted a major clean up and slight restructure of the waste area. Bins and sorting containers were installed, and two sorters were employed to manage the site.

Mpact Waste Management’s effective business solution resulted in:

• Material being baled on site, which was good, clean quality material. This meant that the client would receive an income from their recyclables.
• Tonnage was secured at the source, which ensured that this material was continually fed to the mills, where needed.
• There is a BiobiN® on site that serves as an on-site composting solution, with two sorters on site, who have been trained to handle the recycling and the BiobiN®.

The BiobiN® assists with partial decomposition on site. The addition of the BiobiN® on site means the volume of waste that previously went to landfill is reduced, as the client’s organic waste is now diverted and worked into composting heaps at a composting facility, located in Springfield, Gauteng.

The benefits are both economic and environmental, and far outweigh any previous solutions. The organic components are turned into organic sludge that is then composted, delivering quality compost as a product, which is sold to the industry.

Training and skills transfer have been well underway with risk assessment done prior and during the operations to ensure all safety requirements are adhered to on site.

A site supervisor from the waste management business plays a key role in the operations of the site, specifically assisting in training the staff from a logistics perspective to ultimately create a sustainable solution that improves waste efficiencies on site.

The goal of any waste management contract is to provide a tailor-made, client specific service that serves as a total solutions basket. In this case, both businesses are mutually benefitting from the partnership, but most importantly, the on-site solution has successfully converted the waste portfolio of the client into a revenue generating centre.

The true magic of acquiring contracts such as these is the role the waste management team is able to play in closing the loop together with the Mpact Group, thus contributing to the circular economy.

This is a perfect example of how we are driving ethical circular economic solutions and reducing waste going to landfill. Results so far have shown what these solutions can positively achieve cost-effective waste management and convert waste into profit for companies of all sizes.

If your business is looking for unique and cost-effective waste management solutions, contact us.

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