Mainetti CEO leads sustainable practice
Born in a northern Italian town close to Venice, Roberto Peruzzo began waste sorting in 1990s when the local municipality imposed the separation of garbage disposal based on the various materials of the garbage.
On a daily basis, Peruzzo sorted out the organic waste that is compostable, like leftovers and fruit peels. He called it “dry waste”, which went to a power plant to generate the energy. Then he turned to plastics, cans and glasses.
Among all the waste generated a day, only a small part — less than 20 percent — goes into the pile of actual waste that cannot be recycled, Peruzzo said.
Being meticulous is in the Italian DNA, which is also reflected in waste sorting, Peruzzo said. He recalled that the sorted garbage lies in transparent bags. “The people who collect them would pick up the bag, look inside carefully. If they discovered anything that is not recyclable, I got to open the bag and sort it out, waiting for it to be picked up the other day,” Peruzzo said.
“It’s a matter of education, I’m sure you would be in that circle quickly.”
Peruzzo said it was quite a good move for some major cities in China to start compulsory garbage sorting, and the most important part of the move creating the culture. “By doing it, you educate the generations to be more conscious of the environment,” he added.
Holding a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Padua, Italy, Peruzzo joined Mainetti Italy in 1987 as a production manager. Since then, he has taken different roles from general management to technical and product development.
In 2007, Peruzzo was appointed as regional director of Mainetti’s branch in the US. Later in 2016, he took the position as the global head of Mainetti.
Being familiar with hanger cultures in different parts of the world, Peruzzo commented that the US is still where the group’s main volume comes from as the country does mass production for lower-cost and commonly seen hangers. While in Japan, the culture requires you to design the hangers and packages in a dedicated and unique way.
In China, new technologies and innovations are being applied such as foldable hangers and newly developed eco-friendly materials.
“We get to communicate with the local retailers closely and suit their needs in garment hangers and accessories,” Peruzzo said. Mainetti has design centers in major countries of the continents.
The group was also the creator of “S”-series coat hanger five decades ago, and its “G” range hanger got patented in 1970s. Mainetti believes a quality hanger is essential to present and add value to the garment, both of which engage the customer and enhance their experience.
Continuing to lead Mainetti inheriting its sustainability and green manufacturing philosophy, Peruzzo, a veteran practitioner on sustainability, is also leading the group to diversify the products, from hangers to smart packaging. “We aim to become a one-stop shop for our customers,” he said.
In the era when e-commerce is thriving and changing the landscape, Peruzzo said the group, in addition to producing e-commerce packaging with environmentally friendly materials, also works closely with retailers that adopt a omni-channel strategy, using physical stores to link their customers while operating online sales.
Eyeing the opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Mainetti hopes to replicate the successful recycling model in UK to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which has a population of more than 70 million.