First birthday present for Huggies® and Envirocomp Solution

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August 26, 2010

First birthday present for Huggies® and Envirocomp Solution

Canterbury based Envirocomp Solution today celebrates its first birthday with a visit from the Minister for the Environment the Hon Dr Nick Smith to deliver in person the news that they will receive funding from the Government’s Waste Management Fund. The company which launched the first commercial plant to compost disposable nappies and other sanitary hygiene products is one of the first recipients of the fund established under the Waste Minimisation Act.

The fund will enable Envirocomp Solution Ltd to conduct a feasibility study to assess demand and identify a suitable location for installing a 2nd plant in the Greater Wellington region. Kimberly-Clark New Zealand which markets Huggies® Nappies, will support the study by conducting research with its Wellington based Huggies® club database as part of its ongoing sponsorship.

Karen Upston, Chief Executive Officer, Envirocomp Solution Ltd says:

“We are delighted to receive this funding from the Government which allows us to look at expanding our services beyond Canterbury. We know from the number of enquiries we have received that families in the Greater Wellington region will be as supportive of Envirocomp Solution as those in Canterbury. There are around 17,000 babies in the region under two and half years old in nappies and a potential 78,000 people who might be using some form of incontinence products so it’s a similar sized market to Canterbury.”

“The funding now allows us to do all the ground work necessary to identify a suitable site; work with local councils; and conduct polls and interviews with households and commercial businesses to build a business model for the service.”

One year after opening in Canterbury the number of households and commercial businesses including pre schools and aged care facilities who have signed up to the service exceeds the original business plan and the plant is now operating at over 70% capacity. The plant processes 15,000 nappies or incontinence products per day into compost. Local councils have contributed by providing green waste and/or incentivising ratepayers with a discount to trial the service.

Tristram Wilkinson General Manager for Kimberly-Clark New Zealand says:

“The success of the nappy collection service in North Canterbury shows that people want the convenience of products that they trust but are increasingly looking for solutions to minimise their waste. It is great news that the Government has chosen Envirocomp as one of the first projects to receive funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund. Members of our Huggies® club in the Wellington area have asked us when they might have access to the service and this is an important first step.”

For further information contact:

Lyn Mayes, Kimberly-Clark Ltd NZ:
Karen Upston, Envirocomp Solution Ltd		 021 471 261
03 312 9380

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

  • Kimberly-Clark New Zealand (KCNZ) is headquartered at Auckland.
  • The company is a global marketer of leading brands including Huggies® products, Kleenex® Facial and Kleenex® Cottonelle® , U by Kotex® and DEPEND® range, and VIVA® paper towel.
  • KCNZ employs over 50 people in NZ and operations include:
  • Regional offices in Wellington and Christchurch
  • The Huggies® Nappies & Envirocomp Solution is a privately owned business operated by Karen and Karl Upston which developed from an initial small scale trial in 2007 using a prototype compost unit.

For more information go to www.huggies.co.nz or www.envirocomp.co.nz