Biogas, Manure, Tiles: This Industry Has Cracked the ‘Zero-Waste’ Code
This article has been published in partnership with Merino Industries.
India generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually. This waste makes its way to landfills and dump yards across the country; their burgeoning numbers pose a fast-growing challenge to the country’s green goals. But as industries find themselves walking the tightrope between profitability and efficient waste management practices, we turn our gaze to an exemplary model by Merino Industries — one of the world’s largest manufacturers of decorative laminates.
With waste piling up the landfills in India are are choked to capacity
It is a case in point of how waste management, when done right, can have a dual vantage: while reducing the brunt on the country’s overall waste scene, it can also optimise an industry’s processes.
Merino Industries has found a way to turn waste into wealth by repurposing the waste generated by different manufacturing processes
As Mr Prakash Lohia, CMD, Merino Industries, explains, the model’s genius lies in diligently tracking every fragment of waste coupled with keen monitoring to ultimately turn it into a product with value. It is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) prescribed by the United Nations and, if replicated, could give industries a map for driving economic resilience at scale.
Tackling waste through a systemic approach
Across industries, waste generation outpaces mitigation efforts. But Merino, now having cracked the code — prioritising value creation at every step rather than viewing it as a final resort — has come up with six ways of turning waste into something useful.
The first of these approaches can be seen at the company’s Potato Flakes Plant (PFP), where solid waste (peels) serves as potential animal fodder, while liquid waste (water) undergoes anaerobic decomposition at the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to produce biogases that are channelled into cooking.
Circularity is key at Merino, and this is underscored by the second waste-to-wealth process, where the company generates energy by turning biogenic fuels like sawdust and rice husk into biogas, which satisfies electricity needs for a portion of the plant.
Additionally, combustible waste generated in manufacturing processes, including paper residue, laminates, and panel products, is channelled into Merino’s furnaces. The ash procured is repurposed into bricks and tiles that line the pavements inside the factory premises.
Merino Industries’ campuses are nourished by the fertiliser mix that is prepared from the slurry from the biogas plant
A look at the company’s Hapur complex, a blanket of green, reveals it is fertilised by a unique mix. One component in the mix is slurry — a by-product of Merino’s biogas plant — yielded by a bio-conversion process catalysed by bacteria and microorganisms. Merino produces 215 metric tonnes of manure that nourishes its campuses.
Mr Lohia elaborates, “The company has implemented a system to collect and categorise waste into hazardous/non-recyclable, non-hazardous/recyclable, organic, non-organic, liquid, and solid. This enables effective reuse of recyclable waste and proper disposal of hazardous waste.” Waste termed ‘hazardous’ finds its way to authorised recyclers, ensuring safe and responsible disposal.
Through its waste management strategy, Merino Industries is championing a new wave of economic success
At the core of its processes is Merino’s endeavour to scale industrial efficacy in tandem with minimising its impact on the environment.
As Mr Lohia points out, “We believe that our ancient wisdom and culture are sources of inspiration to create a positive narrative around waste management.” As Merino champions efficient waste management practices, it is ushering in an era of mindful manufacturing.
Edited by Khushi Arora
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