‘Our depots are only part of what we do’
Ever Green Environmental launches new campaign to turn paper waste into toilet paper
A St. John's-based business is showing how it's an environmental problem solver with its newest project: using paper waste to make secondary products such as toilet paper.
Ever Green Environmental has launched a "Never Green" campaign that president and CEO Mike Wadden hopes will show the public another side of the business.
"Our depots are an important part of our business, but they are only one part of what we do," said Wadden.
"People don't know that for a long time, we've been creating solutions to corporate challenges.
“We want to help people better understand what we do as a social enterprise."
4.4 MILLION POUNDS
Each year, through various organizations from Bonavista inward, Ever Green receives 4.4 million pounds of paper waste.
"It's a resource that has a value to it, that can be recycled many times before it breaks down," said Wadden.
Instead of letting the paper go to a landfill, Wadden said, they have been sending it to Montreal and turning it into toilet paper.
"The purpose of the toilet paper is to show the greatest volume of what this waste can produce," said Wadden.
"This is something we have been doing for a while, but what is different now is we are getting the revenue generated from that operation."
PROVIDING SOLUTION
The revenue, Wadden said, is being used to further support environmental initiatives.
Currently, Wadden added, Ever Green is working with Memorial University to find a solution for recycling plastic.
“For example, cafeteria plates.
“When we get them, there is food and residue on it, they can’t be recycled that way,” said Wadden.
“So, through our process, we prepare those plates into a format that the market will accept.
“Something that would have never been recycled before is now something that’s recycled.”
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
Outside of environmental problem-solving, Wadden said the revenue is also helping to create employment opportunities for new Canadians.
“We provide competitive wages for all our employees, we provide health benefits, but we want to go further,” said Wadden.
“With this extra revenue, we try to put in employment that benefits people and meets people where they are in terms of getting accustomed to the country.”
Wadden added the funding has also created a research fellowship at Memorial to investigate new recycling technologies.
FURTHERING INITIATIVES
Wadden said the toilet paper has already made an impact on operations, but they are still looking to further their initiatives.
"Even though there has been progress with plastics, we'd love to make the virtuous circle and figure out an end product for the plastics that can be generated," said Wadden.
"Composting is also a big part of the future. What do we do with all this organic waste? We want to figure it out."
Wadden said they are going to keep on expanding and seeking innovative solutions.
"There are all kinds of small recycling problems that need solving in the province."