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Brandix environmental innovations win Gold at global
Green Apple Awards
Top
apparel exporter converts sludge into bricks, bio gas and organic
fertiliser in ‘zero waste to landfill’ initiative
Sri
Lanka’s apparel sector powerhouse Brandix has brought honour
to the country by winning Gold at the prestigious International
Green Apple Environmental Awards presented at Britain’s House
of Commons in November.
Conferred by The Green Organisation, an independent, non-political,
non-activist, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising,
rewarding and promoting environmental endeavours and initiatives
around the world, the award is the organisation’s top accolade
for environmental best practice at international level.
It was presented to Brandix Finishing Ltd., (BFL) Ratmalana for
the company’s innovative efforts to achieve zero disposal of
solid waste and sludge to landfill by converting its effluent to
environmentally, economically and socially relevant by products.
One of these products, solid construction bricks made from sludge
generated by the garment washing, dyeing and finishing processes
at BFL is already in use for the construction of a vocational training
centre for the differently-abled.
Brandix Finishing has also successfully integrated its sludge disposal
process with the anaerobic digester of the company’s effluent
treatment plant to produce bio gas from decomposed biological sludge
and canteen food waste. This bio gas is now being used for cooking
of food at the canteen and is to be used in firing the curing oven
used in the garment finishing process in the near future.
The remaining biological sludge on analysis has been found to contain
many nutrients for plant growth and the company has in consultation
with the Agricultural Research Institute launched a community project
with the assistance of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) for
the production of organic fertiliser.
“It is quite amazing to see how much value can be generated
from simple sludge, if an effort is made,” said Brandix Group
Director A. J. Johnpillai. “The processes developed by Brandix’s
environmental engineers can be a model for many industries that
have to dispose of solid waste.”
“The Green Apple award is a fitting tribute to the passion
and commitment of the Brandix environment team which is continuously
looking for ways to recycle or convert waste into by products,”
said Hilary Nath, Head of Environment Management and Research at
Brandix, disclosing that further research and development is underway
to produce paper and roofing sheets as an alternative to asbestos
from sludge.
Already, the conversion of sludge and canteen waste into bricks,
bio gas and organic fertiliser has generated savings of Rs 7.4 million
a year for Brandix Finishing, and enabled the company to qualify
for ISO 14001:2004 Environment Management System certification,
he disclosed. These processes have in their initial stage accounted
for 65 per cent of the 32 tons of sludge produced by the company
per month, and will in their final stage result in zero disposal
of sludge.
The Green Apple Environment Award was accepted on behalf of Brandix
Finishing by Francis Surtees, Commercial Manager. Previous award
winners include Jaguar Cars of the UK at national level. The awards
recognise environmental innovations and best practices such as energy
and resources conservation, recycling, by-products development and
ecological conservation. The Green Organisation looks for measurable
benefit, sustainability, innovation, partnerships and commitment.
Brandix pioneered the concept of total solutions in the Sri Lankan
apparel industry and is Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter
with a consolidated annual turnover of over US$ 320 million. The
winner of two Presidential Export Awards this year, the Group is
strongly focused on CSR initiatives that primarily involve water.
In addition the Group has integrated Clean Technology, Waste Management,
Energy Management and Environmental Conservation into its operations
on the basis of a strong belief that sustainable industrial development
can drive its ultimate goal of being a completely green business
concern.
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