Client: McCain Foods South Africa
Location: Springs & Delmas, Gauteng, South Africa
Industry: Food Manufacturing
Focus: Waste Diversion, Compliance
McCain Foods, a global leader in food production, operates facilities in Springs and Delmas with strong sustainability commitments enforced by its international head office.
Since implementation, McCain’s sites have seen higher diversion rates across all streams, cleaner facilities, and operational savings – while building stronger community relationships through responsible food donation.
The Challenge
While aligned in principle with Oricol’s mission of Turning Waste Into a Resource®, McCain’s operations faced several operational challenges:
- Limited oversight of waste diversion processes
- Lack of reliable tracking and reporting of waste streams
- Waste stream gaps, where only food waste had diversion outlets – the rest still went to landfill
- Difficulty managing compliance and documentation in line with global reporting expectations
These gaps made it difficult for McCain to track its environmental impact, uphold its SHEQ obligations, and meet its international sustainability targets.
The Solution
Oricol worked closely with McCain to develop and implement a comprehensive, site-specific waste management plan, focused on efficiency, transparency and community value.
Waste Reduction & Community Benefit
- Supported waste minimisation at source through operational advice
- Built a certified network of livestock farmers to receive food waste, ensuring food safety and traceability
Process & Infrastructure Upgrades
- Introduced equipment upgrades to reduce waste volume and cost
- Improved bin maintenance and implemented rapid-response support to maintain site cleanliness and responsiveness to waste generation spikes
- Set up instant communication tools (WhatsApp groups & walkie-talkies)
Expanded Waste Diversion & Reporting
- Used composting and biogas for non-feedable waste
- Found sustainable outlets for filter paper and other difficult streams
- Delivered detailed, ongoing reporting for McCain Global ESG compliance
Results
Since implementation, McCain sites have seen:
- Higher diversion rates across all waste streams
- Cleaner, more compliant facilities, even during unannounced audits
- Operational savings through on-site equipment and reduced waste transport
- Stronger community relationships through responsible food waste donation
- Better reporting and global compliance alignment
Overview of Oricol’s Impact
Metric
Waste diversion
Food waste tracking
Compliance
Community benefit
Before Oricol
Low/inconsistent
Manual/informal
Incomplete paperwork
Unregulated collections
After Oricol
Diversion rate significantly increased
Audited/controlled/traceable
Full document trail for audits
Structured livestock support programme
Conclusion
By working together, McCain and Oricol turned a complex challenge into a sustainable success. The journey continues, but with better systems, stronger partnerships and a commitment to continuous improvement, we’re making a measurable impact – one load at a time.
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