So how does a company go about becoming sustainable? What exactly does “being sustainable” entail, and whose job is it to coordinate all of these efforts?
Well, at Merida its Zairo Cheibub, Sustainability Director. Zairo travels the world to make sure all aspects of the Merida rug supply chain are both socially and environmentally responsible. Recently I was able to ask Zairo for a few more details on his job and his role at Merida.
Me: What initially sparked your interest in sustainability?
Z: Having grown up in Brazil which has serious issues of social inequality and poverty, I have always been very concerned about social justice and economic development. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in these areas, and this was the main motivation for my first professional career as a political scientist/sociologist. In 1992, Rio de Janeiro, my home town, hosted the first Earth Summit with more than 100 heads of states. It was a big event! I immersed myself in the discussions and events of the Earth Summit and was truly struck by the dimension of the environmental issues the earth faced. It was a huge wake up call for me. Later on, during the Sloan Fellows Program at MIT, I as able to integrate and articulate the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability in a coherent and systematic way.
Me: Why were you drawn to work at Merida?
Z: I took a class at MIT Sloan called Sustainable Business Laboratory (S-Lab) that required that a team of students worked with a company on a sustainability related project. Merida applied to get a student team for a project and my team chose to work with the company. During the work for this project I got to know Merida’s product, processes and people quite well. I was very impressed with the sustainability of Merida’s products, with the partnership the company established in developing countries and the commitment the company had with becoming increasingly more and more sustainable in all aspects. The people at Merida were nice and the work climate was very good… I thought it would be a fun company to work for and I was right!!
Me: Why does Merida Meridian need a Sustainability Director?
Z: Sustainability should be understood as a process and not as a defined, one time result. It is also multidimensional as it implies a diversity of social, environmental and economic issues. Companies have to constantly strive to make their products more and more sustainable was well was to improve their operations, reduce their energy and material consumption, assure supplier’s compliance with standards and values, etc. My role at Merida is to coordinate all the different actions directed toward making the company more and more sustainable as well as to make sure that the process is advancing.
Me: What are some current initiatives you are working on at Merida?
Z: The three main initiatives currently are: working with the Sustainable Business Leadership Program to make our operations even more sustainable; putting together a Life Cycle Assessment project for Merida’s main products; working with our smaller suppliers to help them make their operations more sustainable.
To read more about Zairo and what he has been up to at Merida and at MIT, visit Merida’s Sustainable Design and Manufacturing Blog: http://www.insidesustainabledesign.com/ (Zairo is the main contributor to the blog).
I looked up recipes that use jute leaves, and it seems that they are as versatile as spinach leaves- they can be steamed, stir fried, or used in stews, soups, and more. Jute leaves are also packed with anti-oxidants and are becoming popular in the U.S. because of their health benefits. However, since jute has so many different names in so many different cultures, it can be hard to find unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. The best way to find it is to go to an Asian specialty market. But, no worries, just head to the MeridaHome website to find them as well as their other 
