SUSTAINABILITY
Going green With a growing sustainability movement in New Zealand delivering better hygiene and environmental results for businesses and their customers, we speak to three industry leaders about what strategies are working for them Words Cameron Cooper
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ffshoot general manager Wesley Binedell remembers having a light-bulb moment about four years ago that has changed the direction of the family business. The Auckland-based supplier of cleaning products – including chemicals, paper products and wet wipes – had for years been selling polypropylene wet wipes made from the widely used No.5 class plastic. However, Binedell and his team became aware that such wipes were not conducive to best-practice recycling. 24 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND November 2023
“We were of the understanding that the wipes were being recycled, but instead they were going to landfill,” he says. “By our calculations, at that point we had already put millions of wipes into landfill and knew that we needed to change products.” A decision was made to steer Offshoot towards sustainable products that continued to be cost-effective for customers. Based on market feedback, the business has since developed and sold its own range of certified biodegradable wet wipes that are made in China by
a manufacturer that is committed to providing sustainable options. The wipes are made from natural fibres and are 100 per cnet biodegradable, 100% commercially compostable and have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Offshoot is a major supplier of wipes in New Zealand gyms, with staff and members using them to wipe down and sanitise fitness equipment, rather than relying on traditional measures such as a spray bottle and paper towels or rags. Binedell says the biodegradable wipes give customers the comfort of knowing