Byas Anand of Dabur India Ltd on plastic waste management

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi recently awarded Dabur India Ltd a Certificate of Appreciation for their efforts in managing plastic waste in the national capital as part of the company’s Extended Producer Responsibility. The leading FMCG company has been collaborating with Waste Management Agencies in Delhi to collect, recycle, and process post-consumer plastic waste, preventing it from ending up in landfills.

Dabur India Ltd

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has presented Dabur India with a Certificate of Recognition for their initiative in managing plastic trash. It feels what?

We are honoured to have received this honour from the MCD. Indeed, this recognition validates our efforts to reduce post-consumer plastic waste in our cities and keep it out of landfills and the oceans. This award will inspire and motivate us to do more for the betterment of society.

Please tell us about the plastic waste management initiative that has earned you this honour.

We are currently working on several fronts, including processing and recycling post-consumer plastic waste on the one hand, and reducing plastic consumption within our operations on the other.

We are now targeting to become a Plastic Waste Positive enterprise by collecting, processing and recycling more plastic waste from our cities than we produce as our product packaging.

Residents Participating in Plastic Waste Collection Drive – My 10 Kg Plastic Bottle

We have also launched initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of source separation and recycling, as well as to establish systems to ensure effective practise.

We have collaborated with local governments to train waste workers and ragpickers in these concepts and to provide an efficient collection system that covers virtually all segments: households, offices, schools, hospitals, and commercial establishments.

In 2022, how many metric tonnes of plastic waste did you recycle?

[Dabur became the first Indian FMCG company for becoming Plastic Waste Neutral in 2021-22, collecting, processing, and recycling nearly 27,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste from across India. We have set a goal of accumulating, processing, and recycling nearly 35,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste this fiscal year. We have already surpassed the 30,000-tonne mark and are on track to meet our target of collecting, processing, and recycling 35,000 MT by March 2023.

In which parts of India is your plastic waste management initiative currently operational?

Our plastic waste management initiatives are active throughout India.

Dabur India declared itself a “100% plastic waste neutral company” in February 2022. What procedures are in place to ensure this?

Because of our efforts in plastic waste management, we have assumed a leadership position in terms of Extended Producer Responsibility. Dabur became the country’s first FMCG company to go 100% plastic-free.

This means that we collect, process, and recycle the same amount of plastic waste that we sell in product packaging each year, in accordance with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. In fiscal 2021-22, we collected, processed, and recycled approximately 27,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste from across India.

How can we be more responsible as citizens in terms of reducing our use of plastic in daily life and segregating plastic waste at the source?

At Dabur, we believe that sustainability entails striking a balance between economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. Our goal is to maximise returns for our investors and stakeholders while minimising our environmental impact and assisting the communities in which we operate.

DadamiTe Dehi” (As you give me, I give you in return.) This ancient Yajur Vedic saying is the inspiration for Dabur’s unwavering commitment to ecological conservation and regeneration.

Dabur is dedicated to waste management, recycling, and circular economy strategies that enable waste stream recovery and productive re-use. Promoting a circular economy not only helps create possibilities to decrease waste in our cities, but it also helps to stimulate innovation and create job opportunities.