Merino finds a sustainable future
When Australian paper, plastic and non-woven product manufacturer Merino was looking for a way to make its voice heard and influence the uptake of recycled content products (RCPs), the Buy Recycled Business Alliance (BRBA) was able to provide a solution.

Peter Jensen, General Manager of Merino’s Away From Home Division, is responsible for the company’s relationship with the BRBA.

“We decided to join the BRBA in January 2004 because we saw it as an opportunity to help broaden the message about recycled products to other companies and government,” Jensen said.

“Competing with major global companies, Merino’s sustainable business platform is a key point of difference that also underpins their overall business strategy. We service large corporate, industrial and commercial businesses which have their own sustainability programs so Merino makes sure it can offer products that answer their environmental criteria,” he said.

Merino is committed to implementing processes and policies that help protect the environment, and becoming a member of the BRBA has helped the company to achieve its objective.

“As a member, we are not only part of the industry body for recycled products, but we can have an influence on the demand of recycled content products – we help by increasing their availability and encouraging their use by companies and government,” Jensen said.

“We also help to increase the awareness of the importance of recycling and using recycled content products to benefit the environment,” he said.

Jensen said joining the BRBA has also allowed Merino to create and improve important strategic partnerships with industry leaders.

“The BRBA holds meetings with its members every six to eight weeks during which companies present themselves. It is an excellent occasion not only to learn more about other members’ recycling initiatives and share experience but to network and find new business opportunities,” he said.

“We buy recycled packaging from Visy and Amcor and because we are all members of the BRBA, it improves our relationship with them.

“Joining the BRBA gives members the opportunity to learn more about sustainability, to network with other companies and government, and to receive support from the industry body,” Jensen said.

Bob Harvey, Operations Manager at Merino, said that Merino follows one of the BRBA’s objectives by having an extensive recycling program.

“We don’t only have a major in-house recycling program but we also use a huge amount of scrap office paper to produce tissues. We are also undertaking water and energy reduction initiatives and evaluating how other by-products of the production of waste paper could be used for other products,” Harvey said.
The Buy Recycled Business Alliance (BRBA) is a non profit pro-sustainability alliance of businesses that are united by a commitment to promote the purchase and use of recycled content products (RCPs) and materials, which strongly contributes to corporate sustainability.
Foundation members of the BRBA include Amcor, McDonalds, Visy Industries, Foster’s Group, Corporate Express, Fuji Xerox and Australian Paper.
For more information on the BRBA, please visit www.brba.com.au or call 1300 662 593.

***
Released for the Buy Recycled Business Alliance by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au). 
For further information please call Fiona Pennington or Kim Larochelle on
(02) 9413 4244.