At Merino, the emphasis is on finding potential in every piece of trash, in addition to reducing, reusing, and recycling. Here’s how the methodology is assisting them in striking a balance between sustainability and profitability.
Every year, 62 million tonnes of trash are produced in India. The nation’s green aspirations are rapidly being challenged by the expanding number of landfills and dump yards that receive this material. However, as businesses must balance profitability with effective waste management techniques, we look at Merino Industries, one of the biggest producers of decorative laminates worldwide, as an excellent example.
It serves as an example of how effective waste management may benefit an industry’s operations while simultaneously lessening the overall impact on the nation’s trash scene.
The magic of the approach, according to Mr. Prakash Lohia, CMD of Merino Industries, is in carefully tracking each piece of garbage and keeping a close eye on it in order to eventually transform it into a valuable product. If repeated, it might provide industry with a roadmap for promoting economic resilience at scale and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the UN.
Taking a holistic approach to waste management
Waste production exceeds mitigating efforts across all industries. Now that he has figured out the secret, Merino has devised six strategies for converting waste into something beneficial by emphasizing value creation at every stage rather than considering it as a last resort.
The company’s second waste-to-wealth process, which converts biogenic fuels like sawdust and rice husk into biogas to meet part of the plant’s electricity needs, highlights Merino’s emphasis on circularity.
Furthermore, Merino’s furnaces are used to channel flammable waste produced during industrial processes, such as paper residue, laminates, and panel goods. The bricks and tiles that border the factory’s interior pavements are made from the ash that was purchased.
The company’s Hapur complex, which is covered with green, is fertilized by a special mixture, as can be seen. Slurry, a by-product of Merino’s biogas plant, is one of the ingredients. It is produced by a bio-conversion process that is aided by microorganisms and bacteria. The 215 metric tons of manure produced by Merino are used to feed its campuses.
“The company has put in place a system to collect and classify waste into hazardous/non-recyclable, non-hazardous/recyclable, organic, non-organic, liquid, and solid,” Mr. Lohia explains. This makes it possible to dispose of hazardous garbage properly and utilize recyclable material in an efficient manner. Authorized recyclers receive waste classified as “hazardous,” guaranteeing its safe and appropriate disposal.
