Nappy Explosion!

Envirocomp Ltd set to go global with OCS

Canterbury based Envirocomp today announced plans to open its 2nd plant in the Hutt Valley later this year at the same time as Founder Karen Upston revealed that she will take the Envirocomp brand global with the financial backing of facilities services company OCS NZ.

The announcements were made at the launch of a Feasibility Study into establishing a Wellington based plant which was hosted at the Beehive by Canterbury MP Nicky Wagner. Karen Upston told guests including the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Dr Nick Smith, whose Waste Minimisation Fund provided a $30,000 grant for the study:-

“OCS Ltd has acquired a 100% share in Envirocomp and I am tasked with spearheading the launch of additional Envirocomp facilities in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Europe. This is an exciting new chapter in the Envirocomp story – and one I owe to many people who have believed in the business. Selling was not an easy decision but the team at OCS is absolutely committed to growing the Envirocomp brand and I firmly believe that this is the right decision for Envirocomp.”

“In the two years since we opened in Canterbury, we have processed over 5 million nappies into compost. The study we have just completed shows a market similar in size in Wellington and with support from councils in Greater Wellington, we expect to open a plant later this year. Support from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund, local Government and Kimberly-Clark has been vital to help us establish a business model that has global appeal. However without significant financial backing from the commercial sector we cannot grow at the pace we need to meet demand.”

OCS signed up at the start as a user of Envirocomp in Canterbury providing OCS customers including rest homes, shopping malls, businesses and airports with an alternative to landfilling sanitary hygiene waste.