For large-scale manufacturing operations, sustainability goals need practical systems behind them. From the way resources are used to how waste is separated, everyday facility decisions can play an important role in supporting broader sustainability initiatives.
At Sistema®’s New Zealand manufacturing operation, Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) is helping support this approach with a facility-wide waste separation solution built around Slim Jim® Recycling Stations.
The project has introduced 202 Slim Jim® Recycling Stations across the operation, providing Sistema® with clear, accessible infrastructure designed to make waste separation easier to integrate into everyday activity.
Founded in New Zealand in 1982, Sistema® has grown from humble beginnings into an internationally recognised manufacturer of reusable plastic products. What began with one man’s vision to design and manufacture products in New Zealand has developed into a major global operation, with Sistema® products now used in more than 110 countries. Despite that international reach, manufacturing remains firmly connected to New Zealand, with products made at Sistema®’s state-of-the-art local facility.
Today, Sistema® designs and manufactures an extensive range of food storage containers, lunch boxes, reusable drink bottles, microwave products and home organisation solutions. Its products have become a familiar part of homes, workplaces and everyday routines around the world, combining reusable design with practical functionality. Behind those products is a sophisticated manufacturing operation incorporating advanced robotics, assembly automation and automated warehousing - allowing the New Zealand manufacturer to compete and distribute at a global scale.
That scale also makes the way Sistema® manages resources and waste within its own operation particularly significant. The company’s sustainability initiatives address areas including electricity consumption, waste to landfill, shipping emissions and operational carbon emissions. Its approach also includes sorting waste at source, recycling initiatives and improved post-industrial waste systems. This is where the partnership with RCP becomes particularly relevant: the waste collection infrastructure used throughout the facility forms part of a much broader effort to make sustainability practical at an operational level.
Operating at this scale requires significant infrastructure behind the scenes, and sustainability is already incorporated into several areas of Sistema®’s manufacturing approach.
Sistema® highlights sustainability initiatives including electric moulding machines, rainwater collection and reuse, repurposing rejected parts and improving shipping efficiency.
These initiatives demonstrate how sustainability can be addressed across multiple areas of a manufacturing operation - from production and resource use through to the systems employees interact with every day.
Waste management is one of those systems.
In a large manufacturing environment, effective waste management requires more than simply providing bins.
Different waste streams need to be clearly identifiable, collection points need to be accessible and the overall system needs to work within the day-to-day flow of the facility.
RCP worked with Sistema® to introduce 202 Slim Jim® Recycling Stations across its New Zealand operation, creating a consistent network of waste collection points throughout the facility.
Rather than approaching each collection point as an individual bin, the solution creates a more consistent waste separation system across the operation.
Employees are presented with clearly identified waste streams at the point of disposal, helping make the appropriate disposal option easier to recognise as part of everyday activity.
The RCP Slim Jim® Bins & Recycling Stations range is designed to help facilities build adaptable waste and recycling systems around their individual requirements.
For Sistema®, the solution provides several practical advantages.
Clear Waste Stream Identification. Colour-coded lids help distinguish between different waste streams, giving employees an immediate visual cue when approaching a station. This supports clearer separation at the point where waste is disposed of.
Waste Stream Labels and Signage. Clear signage provides another layer of identification beyond colour alone. Slim Jim® Recycling Stations can incorporate waste stream labels and billboards, helping facilities communicate what belongs in each stream and create greater consistency between collection points.
Adaptable Configurations. Different areas of a facility may generate different types of waste. The system can be configured using different lids, labels and signage, allowing businesses to create a solution that reflects their waste management requirements rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
Designed for Commercial Environments. The Slim Jim® Recycling Station combines a front-of-house look with back-of-house functionality, making the system suitable for deployment across different areas of a busy commercial operation while maintaining a consistent appearance.
The Recycling Stations are built around RCP’s Slim Jim® containers, bringing the practical benefits of the Slim Jim® platform into the wider waste separation system.
Their slim profile and commercial design help the containers perform in constrained spaces, an important consideration when collection points need to be incorporated into existing operational areas.
Integrated venting channels make liner removal up to 80% easier, helping reduce strain during waste handling. Robust handles and a rib-strengthened rim are designed to withstand the demands of commercial use.
Built-in bag cinches also allow liners to be secured without knotting, supporting quicker liner changes for facility teams responsible for servicing collection points throughout an operation.
These may seem like small details individually, but across a large facility they contribute to a waste management system designed around both the people disposing of waste and the teams responsible for managing it.
The significance of the Sistema® project is not simply the number of Recycling Stations installed.
It is the ability to create a consistent approach to waste separation across a large manufacturing environment.
Colour-coded lids, clear waste stream identification and strategically positioned collection points work together to give employees a recognisable system throughout the facility.
For facility managers, this demonstrates an important principle: waste infrastructure works best when it is considered as a complete system rather than a collection of individual products.
The physical container matters, but so does its location, signage, configuration and ease of use.
Sistema®’s sustainability initiatives extend beyond waste management. The company is already addressing areas including manufacturing efficiency, water reuse, material recovery and transportation.
RCP’s role is to support that broader direction by providing practical waste management infrastructure that can operate within the demands of a large manufacturing environment.
The Slim Jim® Recycling Station system provides a way to make waste separation visible, accessible and consistent across the facility - translating a broader sustainability objective into something employees can interact with as part of everyday operations.
For RCP, the Sistema® project demonstrates how the right commercial waste infrastructure can help organisations turn waste separation into an integrated part of facility operations.
Rather than focusing on individual bins, the solution brings together collection points, colour coding, signage and commercial-grade Slim Jim® functionality within one adaptable system.
The result is a practical approach designed to support clearer waste separation across Sistema®’s operation while complementing the company’s wider sustainability initiatives.
For other commercial and industrial facilities, the principle is equally relevant: smarter waste management starts with making the right choice clearer at the point of disposal.
Explore the RCP Slim Jim® Bins & Recycling Stations range and discover adaptable solutions for commercial waste separation.
