Composting nappies a real success

Composting nappies a real success

Huggies® and Envirocomp Solution provides environmentally friendly nappy disposal for NZ parents

26th April 2010: Demand for the disposable nappy collection service launched by Huggies® Nappies and Envirocomp Solution last year in Canterbury has exceeded all expectations reaching 60% capacity within six months.

The existing plant processes up to 15,000 nappies per day into compost with collections from households and childcare centres. The business is already looking at opportunities for expansion to meet demand in the region and nationwide.

Karen Upston, Chief Executive Officer says:

“We are delighted with the number of households and commercial businesses who have signed up to the service. It exceeds our original business plan and we are now looking at funding options to extend this plant and develop others.

“Customer feedback shows that households who are using the service find it no more labour intensive than their current council rubbish collection and with the three bin fortnightly system in Christchurch many households are willing to pay for a weekly collection. We have a 98% return rate from customers who use our service and contracts only terminate because babies stop wearing nappies.”

Tristram Wilkinson General Manager for Kimberly-Clark who markets HUGGIES® Nappies, the official sponsor of the Envirocomp Solution 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. That 96% of nappies changed in New Zealand are disposable nappies tells its own convenience story. Despite local authorities around the country subsidising reusable nappies, mums and dads continue to choose disposable nappies for their baby saying that they prefer them for their skin care, dryness and leakage protection and the convenience for their babies*.”

“As a company we have put a huge amount of effort into minimising the environmental impact of our products. Thanks to continuous improvements to shape and fit the material used in HUGGIES® nappies has reduced by 15% over the last 6 years which is acknowledged in the most recent Life Cycle Analysis by the UK Government finding ‘little or no difference in terms of environmental impacts between disposable and reusable nappies’. However through our sponsorship of the Envirocomp Solution we are also able to deliver a more environmentally friendly disposal of our products.”

As well as collecting nappies, Envirocomp Solution has contracts with commercial customers to compost sanitary products and incontinence products for which there are no realistic reusable alternatives. This represents a huge market growth area with an estimated 600,000 New Zealanders nationwide or 1 in 7 of the population experiencing incontinence problems.

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

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

*1 in 3 mums with a baby less than 1 year old goes back to work and disposable nappies are more convenient because they are quicker to change and do not require laundering. Medical experts say that the reduced incidence of severe nappy rash over the past 15 years is due to the benefits of disposable nappies. In tests conducted by the Australian Choice Magazine, Huggies was the overwhelming favourite by a large margin scoring 93% satisfaction rating – results showed they were the least likely to leak, kept a high level of dryness throughout use, had little shifting of material or disintegration and fitted the best.

• 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 employees in NZ and operations include:
o 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.
• The NZ$1 million project has taken 2.5 years to move from concept to reality.
For more information go to www.huggies.co.nz or www.envirocomp.co.nz

ENDS

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