THE term, “waste not, want not”, is taken seriously. And that is why Quinten van Zyl, 29, started EP Waste Management in Newton Park. He might only have been in the waste game for two years, but his passion to succeed is evident for all to see.
Waste Management was established in 1998, two years ago.
Using his own finances, He rebranded the company and managed to grow it from 12 clients to 86. This equates to a growth of almost 750% in the past two years.
Quinten was born in Pinetown.
He moved to Nelson Mandela Bay in 1995 before matriculating from Daniel Pienaar Tech High School in Uitenhage.
Quinten furthered his studies at Varsity College, where he studied Information Technology and also worked for financial services company, Momentum.
Quinten who also lives in Newton Park, has always loved the outdoors.
And it was for this reason, along with the fact that landfills were running out of space, that he started his business. Most of what he knows about the waste industry was a self-taught exercise.
Today, some of the clients are household names such as Caltex Summerstrand, the Humewood Hotel and Vodacom. This is one of the only companies pushing the recycling agenda as they look to turn over a new leaf in the world of waste.
“I took the idea of recycling and researched all the different products and avenues that can be tackled in the realm of recycling and it just took off from there,” Quinten said.
“As far as my knowledge goes, there aren’t many companies pushing for the recycling of waste.
“They are more into the business of collecting waste and getting rid of it.” EP Waste Management focuses on customer needs. Services range from waste minimization to collection, treatment and disposal, on-site waste management, recycling and industrial cleaning.
They also encourage the reuse of materials made from recycled products.
This continues the recycling process with their goal being to create and leave behind an environmental awareness legacy.
“We want to create awareness about recycling and its importance to the environment,” Quinten said.