Dairy giant Woodlands celebrates 30 years of sustainability, health, and growth

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Woodlands Dairy, one of South Africa’s leading dairy producers, recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary. From humble beginnings, the dairy has grown into a leader in sustainable, responsible, and innovative dairy production.

Woodlands Dairy was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur Lex Gutsche in Humansdorp, Eastern Cape. It was originally established to serve local farmers, many of whom remain trusted suppliers to this day. In the early 2000s, the company expanded into value-added products with the launch of its consumer-facing brand, First Choice. This strategic move transformed the company into a household name, trusted for its quality, innovation, and broad range of dairy offerings.

Over the years, the company has made significant investments in technology, processing capacity, and infrastructure, enabling it to diversify its product portfolio to include UHT milk, cheeses, creams, custards, desserts, and more recently, high-protein options. Today, it serves both national and export markets, while continuously adapting to meet changing consumer demands.

Sustainability has been at the heart of Woodlands Dairy’s growth. The company has earned industry-wide recognition for its leadership in responsible dairy production, pioneering initiatives in water recycling, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and circular economy solutions. Its commitment to environmental stewardship has secured multiple accolades and internationally recognised environmental certifications.

Core values

Woodlands Dairy CEO, Helen McDougall, says the company is anchored by five core values: Integrity, passion, environmental stewardship, inclusivity, and excellence. “These are more than guiding principles,” she explains, “they underpin our culture, shape our decisions, and define how we engage with all our stakeholders.”

Integrity remains paramount. “We act ethically and transparently in all dealings – from sourcing and production to customer relationships and community engagement,” she says.

Environmental responsibility is another cornerstone. Woodlands Dairy has made significant investments to reduce its environmental footprint, including the implementation of biomass boilers, resource recovery plants, sustainable packaging solutions, and circular economy practices.

Inclusivity and respect are equally central to the company’s ethos. “We embrace inclusivity and respect, both within our workforce and in the communities we serve. We’re committed to being an equal-opportunity employer and actively promote diversity and gender equality across all levels of the business,” says McDougall.

Finally, excellence drives continuous improvement across the organisation. “We hold ourselves to the highest standards of governance, accountability, and continuous improvement. From digitising our new product development process to embedding robust sales and operations planning systems, excellence is woven into the way we operate, innovate, and lead.

Choosing good

Woodlands Dairy’s ‘Choosing Good’ philosophy is the guiding force behind every aspect of the business, from ethical sourcing and environmental stewardship to employee well-being, corporate culture, and community upliftment. At its heart, it reflects the company’s conviction that responsible business creates lasting value for both people and planet.

Sustainability

Sustainability is deeply woven into Woodlands Dairy’s DNA. Over the years, the company has implemented a series of groundbreaking initiatives that set it apart as an industry leader in responsible dairy production. Among its most notable achievements is the implementation of one of South Africa’s first large-scale water recycling plants in the dairy sector, allowing for the recovery and reuse of process water, and significantly reducing freshwater consumption.

Woodlands Dairy has also made significant strides in renewable energy. Solar installations, ongoing energy-efficiency projects, and its innovative biomass boiler, which uses plant-based renewable materials to generate steam, have dramatically reduced the company’s reliance on fossil fuels. In packaging, Woodlands Dairy continues to pioneer with bio-based cartons, fully recyclable materials, and the introduction of tethered caps, all helping to lower its carbon footprint while aligning with global circular economy goals.

The company’s sustainability framework is underpinned by the Woodlands Dairy Milk Standard (WDMS), a robust, independently audited benchmark that governs responsible milk sourcing. The WDMS ensures supplier compliance across key criteria such as animal welfare, milk hygiene, traceability, and employee wellbeing. McDougall notes that the standard is continuously evolving.

André Adendorff, sustainability manager at Woodlands Dairy, confirms the company’s steadfast commitment to reducing its environmental impact. “We’re proud to report that our total carbon emissions have decreased by 4,7% in 2024, bringing us down to 33,968 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). This marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change. Since our base year of 2012, we have successfully reduced our greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint by an impressive 63,6%. Furthermore, our product carbon footprint per litre of milk for 2024 stands at just 92 grams of CO₂e, underscoring our continuous investment in sustainable practices.”

Woodlands Dairy draws on a diversified mix of energy sources, including electricity, diesel, biomass, heavy fuel oil (HFO), biogas, and fugitive gases. Since introducing biomass in 2019, it has steadily grown to become the primary energy source for the facility. In 2024, following the commissioning of a second biomass boiler, biomass now accounts for 71,47% of the company’s total energy consumption, a major step in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and driving down carbon intensity.

The targets and achievements for 2024 are reflected in the table below.

In 2024, Woodlands Dairy recorded a 3,38% year-on-year increase in total water consumption. The water usage intensity, measured as litres of water consumed per litre of dairy product produced, experienced a slight uptick, largely due to increased operational demand. Adendorff said a key factor behind this trend was a 36% reduction in recycled water volumes, stemming from scheduled maintenance activities at the resource recovery plant (RRP).

In a further demonstration of its sustainability leadership, the Woodlands Dairy factory achieved major advances in waste management throughout 2024, successfully diverting substantial volumes of waste from landfill through its on-site sorting and recycling programme. The facility introduced a systematic waste segregation process at source, ensuring materials such as Tetra Pak cartons and cardboard were correctly sorted to improve recycling rates and reduce contamination in recyclable waste streams. Notably, zero biowaste was sent to landfill during the year, with 100% of all biowaste responsibly processed and diverted from landfill.

Adendorff added that Woodlands Dairy’s sustainability efforts are underpinned by strict adherence to globally recognised management systems.

Beyond the factory gates, Woodlands Dairy’s sustainability initiatives extend into both operational and community spheres. Internal projects focus on food waste reduction, general waste minimisation, expanded recycling programmes, and the development of fully recyclable packaging solutions. Externally, the company actively supports municipal waste bin projects, participates in regular street and beach clean-ups, and contributes to local community greening initiatives. It is all part of its broader vision to drive positive environmental and social impact beyond its core business.

Social development

According to Mandla Charlie, assistant brand manager at the company, Woodlands Dairy’s most impactful and long-standing initiative is their Learnership Programme, which has been running since 2012. “This programme provides young people, particularly from under-resourced and rural communities in the Eastern Cape, with practical workplace experience, skills training, and mentorship. Many of these learners have secured permanent employment, either within Woodlands Dairy or in the broader industry. This initiative plays a key role in empowering youth, reducing unemployment, and strengthening local economies.”

Beyond the Learnership Programme, Woodlands Dairy is deeply invested in education and community upliftment. Through its bursary programme, the company supports students in accessing tertiary education, helping them reach their full academic and professional potential.

“In terms of nutrition support, we regularly donate dairy products to schools, early childhood development (ECD) centres, and feeding schemes to help improve child nutrition and foster healthy development,” Charlie adds. “We also support vulnerable families in the Kouga region by providing dairy donations to local soup kitchens. Our annual school shoe drive ensures children in need have appropriate footwear to attend school with dignity and confidence.

“These sustained efforts reflect our deep-rooted commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities, not only in the Eastern Cape, but across South Africa.”

Leadership

According to McDougall, “Leadership is not about titles, it’s about choices. At Woodlands Dairy, ‘Choosing Good’ for the good of all is our collective commitment to doing what’s right, even when it’s not the easiest or most immediately profitable path.

“Our executive team has consistently championed long-term sustainability investments, such as the construction and ongoing management of renewable energy infrastructure, including our resource recovery and biomass boiler plants,” explains McDougall. “These initiatives reflect our commitment to reducing our environmental impact while contributing to energy resilience, despite the significant upfront capital investment and extended ROI timelines involved.”

The future

Woodlands Dairy is focussed on building a future-fit, resilient business that continues to create shared value. In the next decade, the company’s ambitions include:

• Regional expansion: Strengthening its footprint in Southern Africa and expanding its presence in West and East Africa, with additional entry into new African markets already in the pipeline.
• Global market reach: Leveraging its world-class manufacturing capabilities and trusted brand to pursue selected opportunities in international markets beyond Africa, with a focus on differentiated, value-added dairy products that meet global health and sustainability trends.
• Category innovation: Scaling up health-forward and functional dairy ranges, particularly high-protein and sustainability-led offerings, aligned with evolving consumer preferences.
• Sustainability leadership: Pursuing ambitious environmental and social goals, from carbon reduction and ethical sourcing to packaging innovation and community upliftment.

Many of these targets, including emissions, packaging circularity, and community development, are transparently outlined in their Sustainability Booklet and annual ESG disclosures.

“Thirty years ago, Woodlands Dairy started with a vision to deliver quality dairy while uplifting local communities and caring for our environment. Today, that commitment is stronger than ever. To our employees – thank you for being the heart of this business. Your resilience, energy, and pride in what we do inspires everything we stand for. To our customers and consumers – thank you for choosing good with us. Every purchase supports local farms, sustainable practices, and a more ethical food system. And to our partners – thank you for building the future of dairy alongside us. Here’s to continuing this journey, together,” McDougall concludes. – Press release reworked by Plaas Media