Swiss firm Biotrans joins the Meiko Group

Hygiene experts Meiko from Baden Württemberg and Swiss firm Biotrans are co-founding the company Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions. Both companies have always viewed kitchen and food waste as a valuable material that can be collected and processed by dedicated systems to allow the valuable raw material to be reused for energy production. By founding Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions, the two have joined forces to provide sustainable and hygienic solutions in the future. One focus of the company lies in consultation and implementation in the area of process optimisation.

Kitchen waste, such as vegetable and fruit peelings, is left over whenever meals are prepared. Not to mention the food waste left on guests' plates which must be disposed of. But what happens to the food waste in the food service industry, industrial kitchens, cafeterias, canteens and at food manufacturers? What many regard as mere waste was recognized by Meiko 20 years ago as a valuable raw material. Staying true to their company philosophy to make the world a cleaner place, the intention was to use intelligent technology for the treatment of unavoidable and apparently useless food waste The aim was to make kitchens more hygienic, reduce costs and allow the valuable raw material to be reused for energy production.

The Swiss company Biotrans, headed by CEO Patrick Hoffman, has pursued the same vision since its founding in 2006. Inspired by a pioneering spirit, a sustainable company philosophy and a dedication to creating the best possible technology, the company has developed outstanding products and services. The shared vision and dedication to quality and value led to negotiations resulting in the new company Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions. It was a natural move for the kindred spirits to join forces and exploit synergies, because each company on its own would be too small to tackle the challenges of the future. The move brings together a wealth of experience and knowledge of international hygiene standards – on cruise ships for instance. The international infrastructure and service landscape of the Meiko Group lay the foundation to assume a market leader position as a highly specialised provider of individual solutions for all scales and individual requirements.

"We have found the green solution", says Patrick Hoffmann, CEO of Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions. "We want to be particularly sustainable in how we deal with the requirements of our customers. Increasing environmental awareness and a desire to find an ethical and sustainable solution to waste disposal mean that completely new strategies are necessary. Process optimisation and, of course, improvements in hygiene are critical areas where we want to provide our customers with perfect solutions."

Commitment to sustainability is a particular motivation shared by the partners. "As a company guided by values, we care about more than numbers. The motivating philosophy is also important", says MeikoCEO Dr Ing Stefan Scheringer. "Food waste is an important issue but it's also problematic. By using our innovative technology, we can make a contribution to solving this problem. And we can also contribute to valuable further utilisation, namely, to energy production. Apparent rubbish is thus turned into a precious raw material for energy production, and this material is generated every day. It's important to us to think in terms of generations, not quarters."

Hannes Braun, who was recently the CEO of Biotrans Deutschland GmbH, will continue to be head of sales operations in Germany: "Recent years have shown that the German market in particular has highly individual customer requirements. On one hand, the issue is how to deal with the issue of unavoidable organic waste in a simple, clean and hygienic way. On the other hand, the challenge is how to work with planners in kitchen technology and building technology, so that projects are designed with customer benefits in mind from the start. The entire spectrum ranges from small professional kitchens that make say 200 meals daily, to very large scale operations that produce thousands of meal every day. I'm especially pleased to be part of this new enterprise and to have the whole range of solutions available to better serve the needs of customers."

Today the warewashing technology company from Offenburg recently celebrated its 90th anniversary and has become a global provider of sustainable clean solutions for professional kitchens around the world. The food service industry can now benefit from the tailored solutions of Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions to cover the entire process of professional food waste treatment. Bundled resources and a startup spirit are paving the way that takes off at the Hamburg food service trade fair INTERNORGA. The official launching of Meiko GREEN Waste Solutions is taking place at the company's own booth at the trade fair.