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Composting Facilities for Disposable Diapers

10 Nov '11

3 min read

International services company OCS Ltd signed a global sponsorship agreement with Kimberly-Clark Corporation that gives the U.S. headquartered manufacturer of Huggies® brand disposable diapers the right of first refusal to sponsor OCS's Envirocomp composting facilities as they are installed around the world. OCS acquired Envirocomp in February 2011 and plans to establish Envirocomp facilities in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and mainland Europe while expanding operations of its New Zealand facilities over the next 18 months.

Through a similar sponsorship in 2009, Huggies® brand diapers and Envirocomp established the first commercial nappy composting facility in Christchurch, New Zealand. Within the first year of operation, the facility exceeded its business plan and processed more than 15,000 diapers a day, which were mixed with green waste supplied by the local councils that resulted in compost suitable for commercial gardening or landscaping.

OCS is installing its second plant in the Wellington region with a $700,000 grant from the New Zealand Government's Waste Minimization Fund.

"We are delighted that the first agreement signed in New Zealand with Kimberly Clark three years ago has resulted today in a global partnership with K-C as the master sponsor of the Envirocomp composting facilities," said Cecil Ryan, Regional Managing Director for OCS Europe. "Kimberly-Clark has backed Envirocomp from the start, working with its founder, Karen Upston, to build the business model and grow relationships with industry, local and central government. This has been a true partnership."

"At Kimberly-Clark, we believe in addressing the triple bottom-line of sustainability - in other words, what's good for our business should also be good for the planet and good for our communities," said said Suhas Apte, Vice President, Global Sustainability for Kimberly-Clark.

"This sponsorship reinforces our commitment to continuously seek innovative solutions to demonstrate how to collect and process Kimberly-Clark's post-consumer diaper waste and thus reduce the environmental footprint of our products. Given our success with Envirocomp in New Zealand and OCS's expansion plans, we believe this relationship will help us achieve our broader sustainability goals. We will use the power of the Huggies® brand, one that is trusted by parents worldwide, to take a leadership role in helping reduce our waste in landfills."

Chris Cracknell, Chief Executive Officer for OCS Ltd said that the global agreement makes sense from an economic and environmental perspective for both companies.

"This sponsorship deal is an important step for both companies and I believe this will change the way we dispose of diapers," said Cracknell. "OCS operates in 40 countries and Kimberly-Clark sells its products in over 150 countries. We are two global businesses both with strong commitments to sustainability. By working together, we can reduce the amount of consumer waste which goes to landfill."

About OCS

OCS Limited is an operating division of the OCS Group that operates in over 40 countries worldwide. OCS in New Zealand was established in 2004 employs over 2,700 people from offices in 21 locations. Envirocomp is a subsidiary of OCS Limited

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, HUGGIES, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries.

Kimberly-Clark