As regards the growing waste management issue, there is a silver lining. After years of struggle by residents, Tambaram Municipality administration has planned to clear the Kannadapalayam dump yard using the biomining method. The civic body has swapped to the new technology, which representatives believe is much more effectual and the land would return to its original form. Biomining is a popular solution adopted by various countries abroad for large landfills; it is absolutely a zero-emission process where the dump hills can be cleared. It sounds hi-tech, but it’s presently used to yield about 5% of the world’s gold and 20% of the world’s copper. It’s also used to a smaller extent to abstract nickel, zinc, cobalt and rare earth elements. But perhaps its most exciting potential is mining rare earth elements, which are crucial in everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology. Mumbai seems to be going the Biomining way too as recently reported.
But, whereas global giants and companies are taking responsibility in this area, even we can make a difference and make sure we create and dispose waste responsibly. With shrinking space for garbage landfills in the country, there is a responsibility that we have towards earth. Accordingly, all products including wood floorings should be designed for longer lifespans and attention should be paid towards safety during the end of life, disposal stage. At Span Floors the materials sourced are selected based on strict requirements for ecological safety and are tested for environmental impact.
There are companies that are still struggling to implement sustainability in terms of their produce. Span Floors, however, since the time of its inception, weaved the sustainability model craftily within its business model. Mr. Chawla strongly believes in a clean and a sustainably balanced future for the coming generations.
He concludes, “There is no better way of emphasizing our care for the planet than by paying due attention to the impact of the product at the end of life stage, particularly the impact on waste management. As a reputable brand name, we carefully look into this aspect too while designing our product portfolio. After all, investing in the country’s and the planet’s future is the best way to ensure long-term survival for all concerned.
