BUSINESS
Success Stories
Kelp me!
Heather Jones may be soap savy but she doesn't need to clean up her act! Heather is proof-positive that our youth are leading our business community to a greener future. Heather recently won Youth Ventures' Excellence in Innovation Award that focuses on eco-business. Growing up in Witless bay, the environment has always been an important issue for Heather and she has demonstrated her dedication to the earth through the development of her green business, Kelp Me! Heather makes soap out of kelp she collects and dries in her backyard. She goes the extra mile to ensure that she uses as many local ingredients as possible and to use recycled packaging such as driftwood and recycled paper. And although it's not always easy to make 100% natural products, Heather's commitment is unwavering. She refuses to use chemicals or fragrances and she feels that she can make a better product the natural way. Not only does this practice help the planet, it keeps her customers healthy and happy! Heather's all-natural kelp soap - is one business idea helping keep our province clean - one bar of soap at a time.
Frito Lay Canada (NL Distribution Centre – Mt. Pearl)
The Frito Lay distribution center in NL was extremely motivated to take on the Zero Landfill Program initiated by Frito Lay Canada - a program designed to divert as much waste from the landfill as possible. When they started this challenge in 2009, they were sending 43% if their waste to the landfill. Now, they have reduced this number to 11% by implementing a variety of recycling programs – beverage containers, paper/cardboard and metals. Currently, they’re ranked 15th out of 205 distribution centres across North America. They decided to take it one step further by donating their stale chip products to a local farm to be used as pig feed, and by sending all cardboard boxes back to their plant in Nova Scotia for reuse. This local company is on their way to winning the challenge! With these simple and effective initiatives under their belt, the Frito Lay Canada distribution centre in NL is up for their next challenge – getting that 11% landfill waste closer to zero.
Billy Boot Garbage Bags
For Chris Hutton, President and CEO of Billy Boot Garbage Bags, reducing waste just makes good business sense. After auditing the waste produced by their operations, they identified areas where they could significantly cut down on waste AND costs. By practicing the 3Rs, they've reduced their weekly waste from a 20 foot dumpster to less than a 5 foot one and cut down on the amount of resources they use in the manufacturing process. Here's how they did it:
• Billy Boot garbage bags are made with over 80% recycled plastic.
• Cardboard cartons were modified to reduce packaging by 24% and are made from recycled materials.
• A high quality baler was purchased to compress plastic scrap and reduce the amount of material sent to Montreal for reprocessing - taking them from 12 down to 4 tractor trailer loads per year.
• The power system was updated, resulting in a 98% efficient use of power.
Reuse
• Good quality pallets are reused again and again.
• Cores used for rolling up plastic bags are reused in-house until they are shipped with product.
• Large, sturdy cardboard boxes are given away locally.
• Waste water from the manufacturing process is recirculated and used to cool their plant.
Recycle
• Plastic scrap from the manufacturing process is sent to a recycler in Montreal for reprocessing and sent back for use in Billy Boot garbage bags - a total of 250,000 pounds of plastic scrap per year.
• Plastic purge (the material produced when the machines start running) is collected and sold to recyclers in Montreal.
• Cardboard cartons used to receive material are sold to local paper fibre recyclers
• Ink and solvents used during the manufacturing process are recycled in-house and reused.
• All office paper and employee beverage containers are recycled.
Given the cost – both environmentally and financially – of waste disposal, Chris Hutton firmly believes that managing waste is a smart way to do business. By incorporating sound waste management practices into the company culture, Chris and his team have successfully given waste the boot!