At Walters & Bee we give back to our people and community. We are on a mission to include 1% of our turnover from our Emporiums to sponsor community projects. We have a portfolio of projects that we are passionate about, that impact the lives of our team, our community, and our environment.
WALTERS & BEE IS PLASTIC NEUTRAL
The Litterboom Project started in 2017 as an alternative to beach clean-ups, by focusing on river systems and establishing these interception devices (larger HDPE pipes) to prevent floating plastics from flushing down river and into the ocean. 80% of marine plastic pollutions come from the rivers and by creating these catchment mechanisms, they became a more efficient way to stop the plastic pollution. Since our pilot in 2017, we have grown into over 10 major river systems around South Africa, with a presence in Cape Town and Durban.
Intercepting plastic pollution at the source. Empowering communities through education.
A large contributor to our success, has been the dedicated and hard working River Wardens who manage these Litterboom sites and riverine areas on a daily basis. It is important to collect plastic from the Litterbooms daily, in order to bag and remove this plastic efficiently. As such, we have developed strategic partnerships that look to minimise the plastic pollution going to landfill sites through recycling and post-consumer innovation programmes.
Our long term objective is to establish a working value-chain eco-system within under-serviced communities to minimise the total waste that accumulates in these areas, to mitigate the risk of it landing in our rivers and oceans. A sharp focus needs to be on land based interception, such as reclaimer programmes- informal waste collectors- and waste beneficiation programmes- waste to product initiatives- with the focus on increasing the value of plastic waste, so that it is not perceived as waste at all.
The BIG Plan - all manufacturers take responsibly for the plastic they use, help fund Waste Innovation Centres, create a value for plastic litter, incentivise "wastepreneurs" to collect... no more litter.
At the centre of these programmes lies education, alongside improved infrastructure to support the retention and correct disposal of plastic within these highly polluted communities.
WILDLIFE ACT
Wildlife Act is one of the conservation projects that our 1% for the Planet initiative supports. This conservation NGO monitors endangered species, such as the South African Bearded Vultures and wild dogs. Walters & Bee’s support last year enabled an owl sanctuary to be built at Tala game reserve in KZN. Wildlife Act also makes educational visits to community sitting inside or close to reserves to help them understand the need to monitor predators and endangered animals and to educate the communities in how to live peacefully and safely with the animals around them. Through the monitoring of key species and facilitating a healthy relationship between communities and wildlife, Wildlife Act promotes conservation, biodiversity and an understanding and respect for our SA wildlife.
Singakwenza
As the third giving back project to gain from Walters & Bee is 1% for the Planet initiative, Singakwenza is an NPO that is working to break the poverty cycle by supporting Early Childhood Development through education. Singakwenza trains practitioners, parents and caregivers at a grassroots level to be able to facilitate educational and fun activities that, through play, enable young children to develop foundational skills for learning. These activities often include teaching aids and toys made from recycled elements which caregivers are also taught how to make. At Walters & Bee we donate 1% of our Emporiums turnover to three projects, one of which is Singakwenza, enabling Singakwenza to support, equip and educate our community for the ground work for our future generation’s learning.
For the past decade, Walters & Bee has been working to create sustainable beekeeping partnerships with African beekeepers and farmers, to ensure that the bees making our honey live happy lives and that the communities that care for them benefit from this valuable African resource. Walters & Bee supports local beekeepers in the picturesque Northern KZN Rift Valley, practicing ethical beekeeping practices and using hives donated by Walters & Bee. Our Zambian honey originates from the sustainably harvested beekeeping project in the Miombo Woodland. This bee project follows modern beekeeping practices, which protects against the destruction of bees and deforestation. Seasoned apiarist, Matt Walker, runs the Miombo Woodland project, where he educates trainee beekeepers in environmentally friendly, sustainable beekeeping practices.
Miombo woodland Multi Flora, Single Origin Honey - Zambia This beautiful rich, dark honey originates from the Miombo Woodlands of Zambia. Bees forage for pollen from the many woodland flora species found in this protected area, to create this warm-toned botanical honey. Expect to experience a rich floral signature honey taste, with slight citrus after notes.
Miombo woodland julbernardia paniculata, single origin, single source honey - Zambia This pale golden honey has a mild floral signature taste, with strong aniseed after notes. This honey is brought to you in its natural state (with all the goodness from the hive). Miombo Woodland single source honey granulates readily to create a creamy, fudge-like texture at room temperature. Stand in warm water to return to its fluid form.
Julbernardia paniculata - Macadamia Honey This limited batch, bee-friendly Zambian honey has botanical and strong citrus notes. It granulates fairly quickly. Harvested in May only.
Brachystegia - Zambian Honey This limited batch, Brachystegia bee friendly honey is delightfully rich, with light citrus notes and a hint of mint and blackberries. It is harvested in October only.
Macadamia's
Two years ago, we constructed our own bespoke nut cracking facility on the Walters & Bee farm, to secure the finest nuts for our nougat. Our relationships with our partnering farmers have been so successful that we are now able to offer high quality nuts, surplus to our own needs, to other confectionery manufacturers for local and export markets.
Quality Assurance Although our facility is small, we make use of the latest technology and methods to ensure the finest quality product. This process includes colour sorters, optimal drying temperatures to protect the delicate oils and flavour, and onsite chemical and microbiological testing. Once the kernels have passed our stringent testing and sorting process they are flushed with gas and vacuum packed for optimal shelf-life and freshness. Every delivery is issued with detailed Certificates of Analysis and comes with our own Personal Quality Assurance.
Our Commitment Here at Walters & Bee Crafted Confectionery, we are not only concerned with the quality of the ingredients that go into our confectionery, we are committed to ensuring the environmental sustainability of our company, the welfare of our people and the support of our local South African farmers. Our bespoke facility means we can help farmers get the best overall return for their crop, whilst giving our company access to the best quality nuts, at optimal prices.
Intercepting plastic pollution at the source. 
Empowering communities through education.
