Background
Woolcool are an innovative and market leading insulated packaging company using sustainable materials to provide solutions for the transportation of temperature-sensitive goods.
Operating in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, the business – which was launched by Angela Morris in 2009 and now boasts clients including Fortnum & Mason and Unilever – offers its revolutionary high performing and eco-friendly product to a wide array of companies internationally.
Scooping an impressive number of awards in its relatively short lifespan, including the Queens Award for Enterprise in 2018, Woolcool remains the only packaging company that uses a range of 100% sheeps’ wool in its innovative and forward-thinking production process.
The Challenge
Due to the nature of the business, their Staffordshire site produces waste including plastic, cardboard and wool. The reduction of the impact of both its process and product is something they are continually working to reduce and manage.
When Woolcool’s existing waste company stopped collecting plastics for recycling, the team began the hunt for another option as – in line with its environmental policies – it did not want any of these materials to go to landfill. Woolcool strive for a true circular economy across all elements of its business.
Jessica Morris, Finance Director at Woolcool said: “We’d never baled before but knew that it could help us better handle the excess packaging waste we found ourselves dealing with on a daily basis. Internet searches led us to the website of Riverside Waste Machinery, and we contacted them for advice.”
The Solution
Woolcool liaised with the team at Riverside, and following a ‘purchase vs hire’ discussion they opted to rent an RWM75 baler, complete with a service and maintenance package from the Harrogate-based provider.
Jessica added: “We chose Riverside as they were helpful and organised, and provided a machine that was exactly the right specification for our requirements – all at a competitive price!”
The Results
Woolcool is now producing 1-2 bales of material per day, weighing between 50-100kgs each. All of which are headed for either reuse or recycling, nothing to landfill.
The plastic bales are sold on for recycling into bin bags. The cardboard is collected for free, again to be recycled and the wool is sent for re-processing into new Woolcools – something which wasn’t possible prior to the addition of the baler.
Jessica continued: “A major benefit of the new machine is the fact that we can prevent more waste from going to landfill. In addition, our collection costs have reduced significantly and, due to fewer bin collections there has been a decrease in the number of visits required to the factory.
“Our decision to bale with Riverside has improved our carbon footprint even further!”
Want to discuss the business case for your waste handling scenario? Contact us via 01423 325038/[email protected] to discuss your requirements.
