Schools for Future

At the end of our joint Schools for Future project, the FAZ published another interview with our Managing Director, Mr Dworschak. It discusses the experience gained from the project and, of particular interest to the FAZ, Merus's motivation for financing such a project. Our assessment was certainly very positive. Despite, or perhaps even because of, the pandemic, participation was very high. We were greatly impressed by the young people's creativity and the execution of the individual entries. Because choosing the winners was so difficult, we decided to award consolation prizes to the schools that did not finish in the top three. Merus will continue to look out for similar projects to support.

FAZ, Saturday 3 July 2021

Climate change makes reducing CO2 emissions an urgent issue. At the same time, greater environmental awareness is reaching every area of life. Under the theme “Schools for Future – Your ecological footprint counts!”, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Merus want to raise awareness of a climate-neutral lifestyle. The aim is to promote climate neutrality and strengthen understanding of the climate protection that is needed. A nationwide educational competition is being held for this purpose. All participants receive a free F+ subscription to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for the duration of the project. The competition is aimed at students in grades 7 to 12.

FAZ, Saturday 12 December 2020

Merus GmbH, based in Sindelfingen, was founded in 1996 and specializes in water treatment solutions. The company manufactures regionally and is committed to maintaining a small ecological footprint. Merus also has a worldwide network of partners and cooperates with various climate protection organizations.... Roland Dworschak, Managing Director of Merus GmbH in Sindelfingen, keeps a firm focus on the energy transition. Mr Dworschak, you once described isolated initiatives such as “saving paper for the environment” as green fig leaves. Why do you believe such initiatives are no longer enough? Roland Dworschak: “It is simply too little. A comprehensive analysis of our CO2 emissions as a company showed how much is actually possible if you take the trouble to look more closely, instead of occasionally carrying out just one or two projects. When larger projects, such as switching production to renewable energy, are combined with small habits, such as sending invoices digitally, a significant reduction in emissions is no longer so unrealistic.” Merus GmbH wants to lead by example in becoming more sustainable. How can your approach serve as a model for other companies?

Roland Dworschak: “Our initiatives show that no step is wasted and that it does not always have to be large projects. If nothing can be changed in packaging, simply start somewhere else. The effort involved is often limited: signing up for green electricity, for example, takes just a phone call and a signature. We also reuse packaging from incoming goods as filling material.” Everyone must help to protect the environment. What action would you like to see from other companies? Roland Dworschak: “In general, every step toward fair and sustainable production is good and right. However, this should not be used merely to attract positive attention and give a company a green image. We would like the subject to be taken more seriously. Companies that may struggle to change their production should start saving CO2 in the office and in sales. This can reveal previously hidden opportunities that do not always require major capital investment or complex process changes. Developing an awareness of the problem is therefore already a first step. We should not be indifferent to what happens to our own products.” What further opportunities for sustainability do you see for your company? Roland Dworschak: “The Merus Ring itself is sustainable. Its use reduces chemicals. These chemicals have to be manufactured, often transported over long distances, and ultimately removed from the water again. We have applications where large quantities of biocides were previously used to kill barnacles or algae. These biocides enter the sea and destroy habitats. Since our installation, that no longer happens, which is a great success for us. In addition, pipes that are free of deposits require significantly less energy to pump the same amount of water – that also saves CO2. These are just a few examples of how Merus saves considerable amounts of CO2. Over the next few years, we would like to analyze more of these cases and document the savings.” Sindelfinger Zeitung, Friday 20 November 2020

Merus GmbH offers water treatment without chemical additives, using the Merus Ring. The Sindelfingen company wants to lead by example in becoming more sustainable. Offsetting its own CO2 emissions: Managing Director Roland Dworschak and his team are well on their way to climate neutrality by 2021.... Sustainability and climate protection are currently being somewhat overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Not at Merus GmbH in Sindelfingen. “We only have one Earth. Everyone must help to protect the environment,” says Roland Dworschak, Managing Director of Merus GmbH on Ziegelstraße in Sindelfingen. Annika Köttgen, responsible for marketing/sales, adds: “Analyzing our CO2 emissions showed how much is actually possible when you make adjustments in a few areas.” The coronavirus crisis has even had a positive side: “The number of kilometers I have flown has fallen significantly since March. Although, of course, I would very much like to visit our partners around the world in person,” says Roland Dworschak.

So how is Merus GmbH specifically reducing its CO2 emissions? It does not always have to involve enormous steps. “If nothing can be changed in one area, simply start somewhere else,” says Roland Dworschak, giving an example: “Signing up for green electricity takes just a phone call and a signature. We also reuse packaging from incoming goods as filling material.” The Merus Ring itself is a climate-friendly product. It requires no energy to operate and often replaces chemical additives and improves the efficiency of heating and cooling, for example. A combination of small steps and big leaps is putting the company well on the way to climate neutrality in 2021:

Since this year, Merus has obtained all its electricity from renewable sources, specifically domestic hydropower plants. The rings are also engraved using electricity from renewable energy. These are just a few examples of sustainable business practices. Merus GmbH welcomes others following its example. “However, sustainable action should not be used merely to attract positive attention and give a company a green image,” says Roland Dworschak, putting his finger on the sore spot. Being aware of the problem already puts you on the right path. “Nowadays, we should not be indifferent to what happens to our own products. Our initiatives show that no step is wasted and that it does not always have to be large projects,” says Annika Köttgen. Merus has a worldwide network of partners. Besides Europe, the company is represented in the USA, China, India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia, in fact worldwide. In recent years, it has gained experience from more than 15,000 successful installations on five continents. Merus GmbH also has several plans for protecting the environment in the future: “In the long term, we also want to determine how much CO2 can be saved by using the rings. In other words, we want to calculate the positive contribution to the customer's carbon footprint. So far, this has proved extremely difficult, partly because every installation is, of course, unique. Ultimately, however, what matters is not a number on a piece of paper, but the actual contribution each individual can make to climate protection,” says Roland Dworschak.

Merus GmbH offers water treatment without chemical additives, using the Merus Ring. The ring consists of two aluminum half-shells placed around the water pipe. Direct contact with the water is not necessary. The Merus Ring causes water-soluble deposits to be flushed out and reduces the corrosion rate. Special edition of the Sindelfinger Zeitung, autumn 2020