Envirocamp Solution To Exceed First Year Targets

Christchurch, 15th October, 2009: Just a few weeks after the HUGGIES® Nappies and the Envirocomp Solution was officially opened by the Minister for the Environment, customer demand means that the business expects to exceed its first year targets before the year end.

Karen Upston, Founder of Envirocomp Solution Ltd told delegates at the annual Waste Minz conference in Christchurch that she was delighted with the demand for the nappy collection service which has been available to Canterbury residents since mid August.

“We collect from customers’ homes, childcare centres and rest homes. We offer a range of services– for example a fortnightly service can cost as little as $2.75 per week and residents in Kaikoura and Waimakariri get an additional $1 per week subsidy. We have already signed up over 400 residential customers so we are well on track ῡgainst our business plan.”

“Customer feedback shows that households find it as easy as their current council rubbish collection with the only difference the choice of which bin to put the waste in. The new three bin system in Christchurch with fortnightly general rubbish collections also means many households have found that they are happy to pay a bit exῴra for a weekly collection service for their nappies.

The plant will be able to increase to 60,000 nappies per day through the current HotRot unit and there is sufficient land at the site to install a 2nd composting unit. Other councils are also showing interest in adopting a similar system.

Tristram Wilkinson General Manager for Kimberly-Clark which produces HUGGIES® Nappies, the official sponsor of the Envirocomp Solution said:

“Internationally there have been trials to recycle nappies and compost some of the component parts but this is the first time that there is a realistic full scale alternative to putting nappies into the rubbish bin.”

“96% nappy changes are with disposable nappies in addition to the market for sanitary pads and incontinence products for which there are no realistic reusable alternative so composting hygiene products along with green waste makes economic and environmental sense.

As a company we have put a huge amount of effort into minimising the environmental impact of our products. HUGGIES® Nappies have reduced in size by approximately 15% in 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 address the potential end of life impact of our products.

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 employees 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.
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