Master Butchers Co-operative Ltd

The company expanded 35 years later through the acquisition of land on Grand Junction Rd at Wingfield which was used to hold cattle before being herded to the Gepps Cross saleyards.  

This led to the creation of MBL Proteins which saw the development of the co-operative’s first rendering plant on the southern end of its Wingfield site. 

MBL now operates 3 protein recycling plants, 2 on the same site and the other, 225 km away, south-east of Adelaide in Keith, with over 100,000 tonnes of protein waste recycled each year, producing 40,000 tonnes of high quality protein meals and tallow including meals for poultry, pig, pet food and aquaculture produced annually.  

MBL Chief Executive Officer Warren McLean said the Wingfield facility which became the catalyst for environmental sustainability is a far cry from its first rendering plant.  

“This original facility at Wingfield became known as the ‘plant from hell’ which emitted strong odours which by today‘s standards is totally unacceptable,” Mr McLean said.  

“But it did reflect the isolated location and an absence of environmental planning imperatives during that period of our state’s industrial history.”  

For many years the property had no neighbours and was dominated by stock paddocks and vacant land which in more recent years became progressively developed to a stage where commercial and residential properties now surround the site.  

“With this progress came the added responsibility for our environmental performance which we had to address to secure the stability of the business into the future,” Mr McLean said.  

“Finding a solution to the odour problem was essential to allow MBL members to continue to own a viable business and turn their waste into reusable products.”  

MBL remains committed to its environmental program with its next project focussing on cleaning up its waste water stream.  

EPA Executive Director Operations Andrew Wood, commended the company’s transformation.  

“This is not only good in terms of MBL’s environmental performance and social licence to operate but this has also been important to its bottom line and growth.”

Do you have a success story to share with us? The EPA is encouraging any of its licenced companies that have developed new work practices or have achieved improvements to their business of benefit to the environment, to share their news with the wider community through ‘Monitor’ by contacting Chris Metevelis at the EPA on (08) 8204 2054. The following story is this month’s featured company.