Change has become a constant in today's world. So, when an FMCG behemoth turns plastic neutral, that too years before its targeted date, it is a powerful story of change - a change that has the potential to script a new journey of transformation for the enterprise, its stakeholders and society at large.
A responsible business leader and an environmental steward, ITC has long recognised the need to address the plastic challenge. With nation orientation as its mission and innovation as its tool, ITC has crafted many a unique solution to reduce the use of plastic.
For years, the Company has been working diligently on waste management, pioneering distinctive programmes for the community. Going beyond, we have trained our focus on reducing our own plastic footprint and serving society through robust sustainable packaging alternatives to substitute single-use plastic in paper and paper-based products.
To provide sustainable solutions to reduce the use of plastic, ITC has been exploring and investing in innovative packaging solutions that are eco-friendly. ITC's Paperboards and Packaging Business is blazing a trail with sustainable packaging solutions on the laminated board and moulded fibre platforms. These product lines used for a multitude of products have redefined industry standards, and demonstrated that sustainability, useability and convenience can come together in great product design.
Plastic is used in the food takeaway and delivery ecosystem - cups for beverages, small packs for sauces, containers for food, cutlery. ITC has launched a series of products that offer recyclable paperboards under the brand names, FiloPack and FiloServe, and the paperboard-based IndoBowl, to replace plastic containers.
'OmegaBev' and 'OmegaBev Vio' are industrially compostable alternatives to plastic coated containers, cups, bowls and other deep freeze applications - think ice cream tubs and packs! ITC has also innovated bio-sealed and germ-free packaging options for packing tea.
There's more - food grade paper can be used as an alternative to aluminium foil and WrapWell is the ITC brand that enables this. For ecommerce delivery packaging, ITC offers a paper-based solution that is 100% recyclable - Tribe Kraft! ITC has also come up with laminated paperboard alternatives for indoor advertising.
The Terra by YiPPee! contest, a new waste upcycling initiative, saw winners being awarded tote bags/laptop sleeves/pouches made from YiPPee! wrappers
Savlon Glycerine Soap Wrappers have 70% post consumer recyclate in PET layer of the packaging
Aashirvaad Organic Whole Wheat Atta (1kg pack) now uses more paper, reducing plastic intensity while that of Aashirvaad Iodized Salt has transitioned to 100% mono material PE laminate from multi layered PET/PE laminate in select variants
Packaging of Sunfeast YiPPee! Power Up Noodles has transitioned to 100% mono material PE laminate from multi layered PET/PE laminate outer pack and PET/Met PET/PE inner sachet
Engage Cologne has eliminated metallised plastic layers, adopting 100% paper-based recyclable cartons
Vivel VedVidya Soap uses 100% recyclable packaging
ITC Master Chef Frozen Snacks has transitioned to 100% mono material PE laminate from multi layered PET/PE laminate in select variants
B Natural Juices now use 25% recycled content shrink wrap in secondary packaging (*images used are of the products not the wrap)
ITC Hotels has broken new ground by reimagining packaging, bottles, etc, and the Business has eliminated the use of approximately 2.5 lakh kg of plastic annually from around 150 touch points across operations.
Managing waste responsibly cannot be achieved without generating awareness among communities and inspiring them to change entrenched attitudes and behaviours.
Aligned to Swachh Bharat, ITC's WOW (Well-being Out of Waste) initiative is a public-private partnership with municipalities and communities. It makes communities aware of the importance of source segregation of waste, fosters behaviour change among consumers, and trains waste collectors and rag pickers to handle waste better. In addition, entrepreneurs are guided in setting up recycling initiatives that ultimately create value out of waste.
The WOW initiative is operational in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Chennai, Delhi, and in major towns of Telangana and several districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Covers over 1,200 municipal wards across the country
Collected around 64,000 MT of dry waste in FY23
Benefitted over 2.2 crore citizens across more than 55 lakh households
Ensures sustainable livelihoods for over 17,700 waste collectors
Created around 150 social entrepreneurs involved in maximising value capture from dry waste
ITC's focus on plastic neutrality ties in with the Company's credo of Nation First, Sab Saath Badhein and Sustainability 2.0 vision. ITC believes that the purpose of corporates is to serve society and the planet. Which is why the ITC's business model follows the unique 'triple bottomline' approach, where enhancing social and environmental capital takes prominence alongside creating shareholder value.
As Chairman Mr Sanjiv Puri outlines, "The problem of waste management is one of epic proportions and requires each organ of the system and more so, enterprises that are large economic organs of society, to make a meaningful contribution."
ITC's meaningful contribution to society has been to create real impact on the ground and open up a horizon of hope for greener and cleaner living.
