ITC eyes 'green' profit from recycled urban waste - Times of India
March 30, 2009
ITC's paperboard and specialty papers division is generating raw materials from waste. ''We use waste paper extensively as raw material. We procure such paper from waste paper vendors in the country. We would now like to tap households directly,'' says Pradeep Dhobale, CEO, paper boards division.
India consumes around nine million tonnes of paper annually. But only 1.5 million tonne of paper is getting recycled annually. ''Source segregation of waste becomes important. Many a times waste paper gets mixed with other garbage and it ends up going to the landfill. We also don't have enough forest reserves left so its important to recycle waste paper,'' says Dhobale.
ITC launched WOW (wealth out of waste) programme in Hyderabad. It provides special bags to put dry waste like paper, plastic and metals and arranges collection through outsourced agencies.
The waste paper used by ITC for its own commercial activities and other materials are sold to the recycling units.
The programme has now been extended to 10 municipalities in Andhra Pradhesh and over six colonies in Coimbatore.
ITC is planning to launch WOW in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu as well as Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
''We are guided by the triple bottom line principle; employment, profitability and environmental consciousness,'' says Dhobale.
