A heart for the environment in 2021 – as ever
Not only is Merak’s core business green: helping companies reduce their ecological footprint by digitising their archives. We also run our own business as sustainably as possible.
We help businesses to reduce their ecological footprint by digitising their archives. A digital archive is 100% secure, and also prevents unnecessary copying and saving. We can then destroy the paper archive and have the shredded paper fully recycled.
But the way we run our own business is also as ecological as possible. For example, 35% of our fleet consists of electric cars, our warehouses are well insulated and equipped with smart climate control, and our couriers take a course in eco-driving.
It’s therefore not easy to keep on finding ways of taking our ecological commitment even further. Despite this, we have managed to address a few areas for improvement in recent years.
Even more green energy.
We produce much of the power we consume ourselves. And that power is completely green: it comes from the solar panels on the roof of our warehouses in Mechelen and Schelle. In 2021, the warehouses in Overijse and Vilvoorde were also equipped with photovoltaic systems, so that the proportion of green electricity is now even higher.
Even more electric cars
We have purchased a third electric car for logistical services and where possible have replaced our existing commercial vehicles – diesel and/or hybrid – with cars that run entirely on electricity.
Electric forklift
In 2021 we needed a heavier forklift with a taller mast. Although the gas-powered design was cheaper, we opted for the electric version because it produces no emissions. Good for our employees and for the environment.
Paperless working for the couriers
Until recently, our couriers used small printers to print delivery and collection confirmations on paper. These appliances were due for replacement in 2021. Instead of buying new models, we looked for a print-free solution. Our scanner now forwards the confirmations directly to the customer’s mailbox. That way we use less electricity and thermal paper.
LED lighting in the warehouses
The lighting fixtures in some of our large warehouses – two in Meer and one in Vilvoorde – have been replaced with LEDs. When there is no movement in the hall, the lighting is switched off completely. The central hallways are illuminated at 25%. It illuminates at 100% when motion is detected. This has resulted in a saving of 33% in Overijse and as much as 45% in Meer.
More about our sustainable approach
