Orwak Balers Blog

Hawaiian Distribution Center Earns 0% Landfill Award Thanks to the Orwak 9020 Multi Chamber Baler

Written by Lisa Cassidy | 4/06/2017

Golden State Foods (GSF) is one of the largest food service suppliers in the world servicing approximately 125,000 restaurants in more than 60 countries. The GSF Waipahu distribution center located in Oahu, Hawaii supplies product to all 76 McDonald’s and 84 Starbucks stores in the Hawaiian islands. Tony Hernandez, Operations Manager for the Waipahu GSF distribution center, was looking for a better waste handling solution for cardboard and plastic foil.  He found it in the Orwak 9020 multi chamber baler.

Managing Cardboard and Plastic Foil Before the Orwak 9020

Before GSF invested in the Orwak 9020, waste handling was a big challenge.  Most items delivered to the GSF Waipahu distribution center were in cardboard boxes or were wrapped in plastic foil. The plastic foil, which represented 1% of the recycled material, was collected in super sacks, which were left outdoors to be picked up by recyclers, while cardboard, which represented 99% of their recycled material, was left out in the yard in unbound stacks.

This meant when the wind was strong, cardboard boxes blew all over the parking lot. It was messy and time consuming for the staff to go out and gather it back up. “That was the worst thing about the old solution,” according to Tony, “We had to chase cardboard all over the yard!”

Tony recalled the Orwak balers and compactors he had seen at the McDonald’s he delivered to. The balers created compact, organized cardboard bales that meant cleaner, more spacious back rooms. That’s when it hit him. “McDonald’s stores bought the smaller Orwak balers, so I thought it was a good idea to have one in our operation too,” according to Tony. “We purchased the Orwak 9020 in 2013. It was exactly the right size for us and has worked just fine since then - no break downs, no issues whatsoever. It is a very reliable and stable machine.”

What’s Better Than Reliable? Cleaner, Safer, Cheaper and Reliable!

Despite the tall order, it only takes one Orwak 9020 multi chamber baler to manage all the cardboard and plastic for the 40,000 square foot Waipahu distribution center. Just last year, the Orwak 9020 produced 1492 cardboard bales and 72 plastic bales.  (Seven plastic super sacks compact into 1 bale using the Orwak 9020. Wow!)  In addition, “The recycler picked up the bales for free, so we no longer had to pay for the trash collection,” states Tony. “And the clean environment - the best part!”

The Top 10 Reasons Why GSF Was Proud to Invest in the Orwak 9020 Multi-Chamber Baler

1 - The Orwak 9020 manages both cardboard and plastic waste; one chamber for cardboard and one chamber for plastic.
2 - It can be placed indoors.
3 - It is easily accessible from two dock doors due to its compact size.
4 - Only one baler was needed for their large distribution center.
5 - The recycler picks up the bales for free! They no longer have to pay for trash collection.
6 - The clean environment inside and outside the distribution center.
7 - The multi chamber baler can grow with you…more chambers can be added at any time.
8 - Less time spent on waste handling and chasing cardboard!
9- The Orwak 9020 helped them comply with the company’s ISO 14001 directive.
10 - The Waipahu GSF distribution center is the First Golden State Food Center to receive the 0% Landfill Award!
 
Tony Hernandez highly recommends the Orwak 9020 and welcomes anyone who wants to see it in action to come visit! “Orwak is welcome to invite customers to come and see for themselves how efficiently the baler works. It is truly a great product that does not take up a lot of space. It is good for operators out here in Hawaii!”
 
 
 
 

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