Molok North America Blog

Molok North America Ltd. is pleased to announce it placed No. 396 on the inaugural Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies.

Canada’s Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Molok North America Ltd. earned its spot with three-year growth of 45%.
“Through the foresight and vision of Molok North America founder Marja Hillis, we are “Changing the World One Molok® Container at a Time”. By focusing on building the experienced and creative team that we have at Molok®, we have been able to develop and implement strategies across Canada that have allowed us to grow year after year. We celebrated 20 year of business in Canada this year. We only look back on those 20 years to learn from our efforts and to celebrate our successes.” comments Mark Hillis, President & CEO of Molok North America.

Launched in 2019, the Canada’s Top Growing Companies ranking program aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 400 companies made the ranking this year.

The full list of 2019 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazine—out now—and online at tgam.ca/TopGrowing. “We created the Canada’s Top Growing Companies program because we believe there is much Report on Business readers can learn from the successes of the country’s best entrepreneurs,” says Derek DeCloet, Editor of Report on Business and Executive Editor at The Globe and Mail. “We’re excited to be telling their stories.”

About The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is Canada’s foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With our award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.6 million readers every week in our print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 1.8 million readers in print and digital every issue. Our investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family.

About Molok North America Ltd.
The Molok® Deep Collection system is the original, award-winning, semi-underground waste containment system. It was invented and developed by Veikko Salli in the 1980’s in Finland and came to North America in 1999. Crane lifted, hygienic and virtually odour-free, the Molok® system is now in over 40 countries worldwide.

Having an ideal waste solution wouldn’t be complete in Canada without addressing the issue of bears invading waste containers. So in 2002, shortly after starting business in Canada, Molok North America developed a bear lid and lifting system.  Constructed of sturdy steel, these lids were specifically designed to prevent wildlife from getting into the container at all.  Even though Molok® containers emit minimal odour, bears are smart enough to figure out where to go to scrounge up a snack.

These lids have already been installed and in constant use in Canada for 18 years and still in use today.  Algonquin Park, The Township of Madawaska Valley, Peterborough County, Prince Albert National Park Saskatchewan, Fort McMurray Alberta commercial and Lil’wat – First Nations in BC, to name a few, all have Molok® containers installed with bear lids to help keep wildlife out. Fitting our M-5000, M-3000 and M-1300 models, there’s a container size to suit every application, wherever bear populations might be a concern. What held true 18 years ago when these lids were invented, still holds true today, and we are pleased to announce:

We are certified Black Bear Resistant!

With a Molok® sample unit set up in the testing facility, WildSafeBC conducted tests for our bear lids.  Baited with assorted attractive food smells and tastes for the bears, the testing requires an hour of constant contact with the container, without the bears being able to breach the outside of the container in anyway.

The Molok® container, including the lid and framing, all stayed intact during the testing, with the bears at one point easily ripping off the outer sign trying to get in. We are excited to say that the Molok® container, with our tried and now tested bear resistant lid, passed with flying colours, enduring several hours of rough handling by these hungry bears.

Molok® Deep Collection™ Pilot System Still in Use Since 2002

In over 40 countries worldwide, Molok® Deep Collection™ provides an attractive and convenient waste collection solution, gaining momentum worldwide since 1991. Commencing operations in Canada in 1999, Molok North America Ltd, in partnership with the City of Toronto, conducted a pilot project in 2002 to assess recycling and organics diversion rates in a Multi-Residential property in Toronto.

With pre-pilot diversion rates increasing from 21 percent to over 60 percent the pilot was deemed a success.  Further, due to the advantages of the semi-underground Molok® system, service frequencies were significantly reduced providing other fiscal and environmental advantages.   This same system is still in use, 17 years later, refreshed with a recent decorative framing change and a lifting bag replacement. It’s still just as attractive and functional as when it was installed. Why was this pilot so successful?

Archival photo of the pilot project installation, circa 2002

As a result of the Molok® systems innovative crane-lifted design, the containers were able to be placed where they are convenient to the end-user.  The attractive containers are usable all-day every-day by persons of all ages and abilities.  The semi-underground design keeps the waste cool, minimizing odours, while the self-closing lid design keeps garbage in and unwanted urban wildlife out.  The vertical nature of the system helps to compact the waste 1.5-2 times the volume of the container resulting in fewer empties, reduced operating costs, less truck traffic and fewer truck emissions.

Today, exciting new technologies such as level measurement and access control, along with exciting new looks for the traditional design, make the Molok® system, just as relevant as it was in the 2002 pilot.

A recent photo capture of the project, as it is today.

Molok Ltd. is the pioneer and world leader of the semi-underground Deep Collection™ since 1991.  Molok North America Ltd. was incorporated in 1999 and celebrated 20-years of operation in North America earlier in 2019.

Check out the original BIOCYCLE article here to read more.

Molok®. Changing the world, one container at a time.

Today Bill Walker, MPP of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, came by our Mount Forest office for a lunch visit with the team and a tour of our production plant. Mr. Walker presented a congratulatory letter to our President & CEO, Mark Hillis, acknowledging the success of Molok North America’s 20 years of business in Canada. Thank you Mr. Walker!

Our Deep Collection by Molok® crew in action in October 2018.

Did you know that June 17-24 is set aside to celebrate National Garbage Man Day? During this week we would like to celebrate our own operators and dispatchers, along with the sales and management team at Deep Collection™ by Molok®, premium service providers of the Molok® semi-underground system in the Broader Toronto Region.

We would also like to celebrate along with all of our service partners across Canada from coast to coast. hashtag#moloknahashtag#changetheworld

Crane-lifted collection is what makes the Molok® Deep Collection™ method unique.

Molok North America continues to support advancing strategies and infrastructure that increase waste diversion levels across the country. Since 1991, Molok has promoted waste diversion by developing recycling and organics containers. Some of the primary reasons people choose not to use organics containers are the smell, the “ick” factor and the inconvenience of storing or transporting the waste. Molok’s attractive, efficient, sanitary containers aim to reduce the barriers that influence participation in composting programs. The semi-underground structure allows for a higher capacity and ongoing compaction, reducing collection frequency and cost. By storing the organic materials semi-underground where the temperature is cooler, the odour emitting from the bins is reduced. When collected, the internal lifting container is lifted and emptied from the bottom, meaning that none of the residues from the organic material contaminate the lid or area that the user interacts with. This adds to the attractive and sanitary nature of the Molok® containers. The crane-lifted design means that bins can be located in centralized areas that make dropping off waste simple and convenient. All of these factors contribute to the promotion of diverting organics from landfill and the success of Molok® containers.

Economically this creates real efficiencies.  Consider a 45-unit residential complex that is using 3-120 litre (32 gallon) carts for organic collection.  Serviced once per week at $15 per cart the cost for organics collection is $4.33 per residential unit per month or $52 per unit annually.  Using a single 800-litre (211 gallon) Molok® Biosystem™ container, service would be required bi-weekly at a cost per service of $60.00 per lift.  This results in a monthly per-unit cost of $2.88 or an annual per unit cost of $34.67 when using the Biosystem™.  The capital expenditure of the Biosystem™ is $5,400 while the capital expenditure for the carts is approximately $1,800, both over a 15-year period.

The benefits of using the Molok® system go beyond this theoretical framework and can be observed at a 20-unit, multi-family building in Toronto. Before being introduced to Molok they separated waste into either garbage or recycling only, with no organics separation. However, in 2002, they transitioned from a front-end garbage bin and multiple recycling carts to 3 Molok® containers used to separate garbage, recycling and organics. After their installation they were monitored to determine collection frequency and contamination rates.  Collection was reduced from twice weekly garbage and once weekly recycling to once monthly garbage, bi-weekly recycling and once monthly organics. The building had a pre-pilot diversion rate of 21%, increasing to 60% diversion after implementing the Molok® containers. These containers are still in use today, 17-years later.  This is a testament to the successes that can be achieved through the use of organics collection when using a the Molok® system.

What if we carry our thoughts forward beyond operating efficiencies and increased diversion rates?  What are the greenhouse gas benefits of reduced truck traffic for collecting the same volume?  What are the safety benefits for pedestrians?  What are the long-term impacts on municipal capital budgets with reduced collection truck needs?  If we follow the above examples beyond the 45 and 20-unit locations listed, and look at the broader impact when scaled to include all multi-residential units in a town or city, the overall operational and environmental benefits become staggering.  This is the stuff of real and meaningful change.

There is a growing need for increased diversion of organic material from landfills. Composting is an essential element in creating a better waste management system, and the Molok® system brings real advantages in the collection of commercial and residential organics all day, every day, year round.

We hope that this has been an educational International Composting Awareness Week, and encourage everyone to follow our LinkedIn page for more waste diversion information and updates.  https://www.linkedin.com/company/molok-north-america-ltd-/

Attractive, efficient and economical. Molok® Deep Collection™

Have you ever thrown an apple core out of a car window or gone camping and left food scraps on the site? Many people know that these materials will eventually decompose through natural processes. So what is the difference between this and composting? And why does it matter if organic waste goes to the landfill to naturally break down instead?

In Canada, more than 40% of the residential waste sent to landfills each year is composed of food and yard waste. At such great quantities these organics produce substantial amounts of greenhouse gases during the decomposition process. In particular, the breakdown releases methane, and a study in 2014 found that landfills produce 20% of all Canadian methane emissions. Methane has serious environmental implications as an air pollutant and contributor to climate change.

In addition to the adverse impact on the environment, landfills are reaching capacity at an unsustainable rate. In a recent Ontario Waste Management Association webinar, it was projected that all Ontario landfills currently in operation will be at capacity by 2032. By diverting the residential and commercial organic materials from landfills to composting programs, the lifespan of Canadian landfills will be extended.

Across the country the amount of solid waste collected between 2002 and 2016 increased by 11%, of which 4% went to landfills or incinerators. The continual increase in the amount of waste being produced indicates an increased need for waste diversion strategies. Although many places have shown improved participation in programs such as composting, we need to do more to address the modern-day waste problem.

We can learn from places coast-to-coast that have made significant progress in implementing successful organics diversion programs. Nova Scotia has been a leader at increasing organic waste diversion. In 1998 the province, through regulation, banned food and yard waste from entering landfills, instead offering green cart collection and backyard composters. This strategy has greatly contributed to Nova Scotia sending the least waste per capita to landfill out of all provinces and territories in Canada.

Similarly, Metro Vancouver banned organics from garbage bins in 2015 as part of their initiative to divert 80% of waste from landfills by 2020. The ban has been enforced by inspecting drop-offs at the landfill and placing surcharges on waste haulers carrying excess amounts of organic material. To avoid these substantial fees, residential and commercial properties have utilized the composting bins and complied with material guidelines, all contributing to Metro Vancouver’s diversion goals.

In addition to reducing the quantity of material going to landfills and their harmful by-products, organic material can be repurposed for energy production or reused as fertilizer. An example of this process is at the biogas facility in London, Ontario, which uses anaerobic digestion to break down the organic waste. In these conditions, naturally occurring bacteria consume the organics and create biogas, primarily methane, which is used to generate electricity for the grid.

After the energy has been extracted the leftover material is combined with organics not suited to biogas production and used to form nutrient rich fertilizer.

Much like Nova Scotia, Vancouver and London, Molok has a solution to promote the beneficial and sustainable practice of composting! Stay tuned this International Composting Awareness Week to learn more.

(Article as published in ‘Molok Deep Collection News’ 2011)

In Canada, Molok participates in a fund raising mission to benefit the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Foundation of Greater Montreal. The proceeds from the fundraising activities enable the association to continue providing for the children in need.

The association provides responsible adult guidance for children through quality mentoring programs. They recruit, train and match volunteers with children, and provide financial support as they search for a full and happy life.

Since 1975, the association has match over 6,000 children coming from single-parent families that needed a model as a big brother or a big sister in their lives. Here are some statistics:
– 46% of the matched children are less likely to take drugs
– 27% of the matched children are less likely to drink alcohol
– 52% of the matched children are less likely to quit school

Our Activities
The clothes collecting project of the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Montreal Foundation involves picking up clothing and household articles that are no longer used, and selling them to Value Village, a private thrift store.

Since 1998, the Foundation has been working closely with many important partners who have allowed the installation of clothing bins in their shopping centres; 80 bins are presently installed.

Presently, we are using the Molok (containers) to develop a new clothing bin with improved hygiene, surrounded with pleasant landscaping, which provides many more benefits than the traditional clothes collecting systems.