Zero-waste production and permaculture: the hallmarks of Virgin Oil Press Ltd.

Sustainability Hero for Hungary in the Community category of the SME EnterPRIZE project

The idea that led to the founding of the company is that there is excessive waste in the food industry. A vast amount of this waste is reusable and can be repurposed as secondary raw material for the manufacturing of new products.

Initially, when Virgin Oil Press Ltd. started out with the zero-waste concept years ago, they only produced grape seed oil. By now, after having perfected the technology, the company offers a wide range of products with considerable added value. At present, the Grapoila brand produces 18 different types of natural cold-pressed oils, seed flours, cosmetics, and gourmet products using its own “zero-waste” technology – a philosophy that is upheld throughout the entire production process.

Their overarching goal is to provide customers with delicious and healthy products with minimal environmental impact by generating little to no waste. The company also creates surplus revenues for its suppliers in exchange for their by-products.

The excellent quality of their products is the outcome of careful selection of raw materials and the optimal conditions in which they are treated, with a number of checkpoints that have been integrated across the entire process.

Virgin Oil Press Ltd. believes that food products that are made from natural ingredients and without the use of synthetic chemicals provide the basis for good nutrition. Being natural is not something that is considered only when it comes to ingredients for the brand’s products, the company strives to preserve nature through “zero-waste” production and by employing reusable and recyclable packaging materials.

Furthermore, for its Grapoila products, Virgin Oil Press Ltd. purchases raw materials from domestic producers whenever possible. From the acquisition of raw materials to the packaging of finished goods, each step of the production process is carried out by the employees at either one of the three production plants, all of which are located in Hungary.

Thanks to the support of SME EnterPRIZE, Virgin Oil Press Ltd. will implement a community permaculture garden program at their site in the XXII. district of Budapest. Anyone can join and benefit from this community program, acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge and having a chance to purchase seedlings grown in accordance with ethical principles.