The prominent Croatian supermarket chain Ribola benefits from a new sustainable and profitable waste management solution. Orwak balers cover the need to sort and compact recyclables at source both at its main distribution center and in the small supermarkets.
Ribola opened its first store in 1992 in a family home in Kaštel Kambelovac, in the district which the chain is named after. In 2005, Ribola was acquired by Nird d.o.o., leading to significant and continuous growth in the retail market and Ribola has twice been declared the gazelle of the Croatian economy. Ribola modestly states: “We owe our success in the market to our high-quality employees and loyal customers”.
Operates 80 stores in DalmatiaNow the chain employs 670 people, operates its own distribution center and more than 80 stores in various sizes from small markets up to supermarkets and hypermarkets in the Dalmatia region. The chain has its own purchase station for fresh fruit and vegetables and offers its customers a diverse range of consumer products.
Ribola plays an important role in the Dalmatian community by being Involved in local development projects and supporting humanitarian associations and institutions. Therefore, sustainability and recycling waste materials responsibly are also close to heart.
Balers replace open bins and containers
Interzero, an environmental consultant and Orwak’s distributor in Croatia, advised Ribola to use compacting equipment to manage the waste streams on site effectively and increase the recycling rate.
Before, Ribola had open bins or containers for their waste disposal, but now they benefit from the advantages from sorting and compacting the waste at source. Reduced waste volumes result in more productively used storage space, fewer waste transports and cost savings.
The store level
For its small supermarkets, Ribola chose the most compact vertical baler in the Orwak range, model 3110. It has the right capacity for small volumes of cardboard and plastic in this type of business and its small footprint is perfect for the limited storage space at hand. So far, the five first units are order and another 20 are in the investment plan this year for the smaller stores.
The distribution center
Cardboard and plastic foil are the main waste fractions at the central warehouse where goods are unpacked and repacked for distribution to the stores. Two strategically located Orwak balers, the vertical POWER 3420 and the MULTI 9020S with three chambers keep the waste streams at bay and allow sorting of the third waste type aluminum cans.
The balers form an ideal mini recycling station indoors enabling the staff to separate and compact several waste fractions in one place. It saves the staff the time and the trouble to transport the waste to any big and complex compacting unit outdoors.