2024 will be remembered as a landmark year in our proud history. From the arrival of our new majority shareholders and settling into our state-of-the-art Durban facility to expanding our fleet, our continued growth and advancements have reinvigorated our vision of Turning Waste Into A Resource®.
Landmark share buyout
From left: Ighsaan Gordon (Infra Impact); Morné Edas (Infra Impact); Graeme Smart (Oricol CEO); Mark Van Wyk (Infra Impact); Richard Sanders (Oricol Founder and Executive Chairman); Anthony Hewat (Metier); Marc Immerman (Metier); Dirk De Wet (Oricol COO)
A significant milestone was when Infra Impact Investment Managers acquired a majority equity stake in Oricol Environmental Services from Lereko Metier Environmental Solutions Holding.
The transaction, finalised on June 4, 2024, saw the Infra Impact Mid-Market Infrastructure Fund 1 become the new majority shareholder.
The fund’s focus on job creation, sustainable development goals (SDGs) and green energy solutions aligns seamlessly with our mission of transforming waste into a valuable resource.
CEO Graeme Smart expressed confidence in the partnership, stating, “We firmly believe that we are partnering with like-minded, seasoned professionals who share our values, ethos and growth aspirations.”
Durban move: Bigger premises, better service
Moving to our new head office and processing facility in Durban early in the year “transformed our business completely”, says Andrew Fernandes, KZN Regional Manager.
Our new spacious 1,000㎡ materials recycling facility (MRF) has increased our processing capacity from 700 to 1,500 tons per month. This expansion has enabled us to better serve our customers with faster offloading times and increased storage capacity.
The new facility has also enabled us to introduce a state-of-the-art dryer for processing wet organic waste into valuable animal feed. It can process 500 tons of wet organics per month, diverting this waste from landfills and creating a sustainable solution.
Our newest branch, in Cape Town, also expanded its offering during the year. It opened in June last year with a limited range of services, but we can now cater to businesses that require waste collection, recycling, hazardous waste management, on-site integrated waste management, e-waste collection, food waste and other organic waste recycling.
Speaking of recycling ...
Take a look at some of our recycling and waste diversion statistics for the year to date.
Since January, we have recovered a staggering 77,078 tons of organic waste. This means we have recycled, recovered and re-used 99% of all the organic waste we have managed. This achievement reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and collaboration with our clients.
Upgrades to facilities and fleet
A new treatment plant specifically designed for basic oily waters and effluent waters came online in Durban recently, boosting our service offering to local customers.
This month we also received our license for our new composting site in KwaZulu-Natal. And look out for further additions to our facilities that will be launched in the new year.
One of the heartbeats of our operation is our fleet of trucks. These specialist vehicles enable us to cost-effectively collect compactable wastes, dense wastes, bulk wastes and liquid wastes.
We acquired several new vehicles this year, thanks to our truck replacement and rotation system.
Some of the new vehicles we acquired include two 8-tonners with curtain sides, three skip waste trucks, two rolons and a front-end loader.
Our replacement and rotation system ensures we keep our fleet up to date with technological advancements and, as a result, use less fuel and run a more efficient business. This reduces our carbon footprint and extends the life of our vehicles.
Teamwork makes the dream work
And who says you can’t have fun while getting the job done?
Whether it was getting our hands dirty on Mandela Day by cleaning the streets around our Gauteng branch, pulling together as a team on safety training days, celebrating our heritage, enjoying a coffee quiz, cleaning penguins or promoting our mission for a more sustainable future, our teams across the country reflected our passion for sustainable environmental solutions.
Bring on 2025!
