Dabur Becomes India's First 'Plastic Waste Neutral' FMCG Company, Recycles 100% Plastic Sold As Product Packaging

Dabur India, the largest Science-based Ayurveda major in the country, has now become a complete 'Plastic Waste Neutral company' in India, after it collected, processed and recycled nearly 27,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste in 2021-22 financial year.

With this, Dabur has become the first consumer goods company in India to achieve this landmark. Currently, the Ayurveda company collects, processes and recycles the same amount of plastic waste it sells in its product packaging annually, becoming a 'Plastic Waste Neutral' enterprise.

"It is a great pride for the entire Dabur family, who have not just collected plastic waste from our cities, villages and towns, but also prevented the waste from reaching our landfills and oceans. This includes all kinds of plastic waste, from PET and HDPE bottles, labels and PP caps to beverage cartons and multi-layered plastics," Dabur India Ltd Executive Director-Operations Shahrukh A. Khan said, according to India CSR.

"Dabur has consistently been recognised for its commitment towards sustainability and ecological responsibility. We have made significant progress in our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) journey and have now become India's first FMCG Company to become Plastic Waste Neutral in India," he added.

Dabur set the target of collecting, processing and recycling more than 22,000MT of post-consumer plastic waste from across India in 2021-22 and has surpassed it three months ahead of schedule, besides enhancing the full-year target to 26,956 metric tonnes.

"We work with government-registered recycling partners across India and have taken progressive actions to reduce plastic waste in cities, towns, villages. We also raise awareness about plastic waste management within the community. The collected plastic waste is sent to multiple Recyclers, Waste-to-Energy Plants and Cement Kilns," Khan said.

Over 54,000 Metric Tonnes Of Plastic Waste Collected

Dabur's Plastic Waste Management initiative was kick-started in 2017-18 as part of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rule 2016, 2018 (amended). Under this initiative, the company has to date collected a total of over 54,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste (Recyclable and Non-Recyclable) direct from the end-users with the help of around local ragpickers in 150 cities across India. Dabur has also put a robust audit mechanism to ensure 100 per cent transparency and compliance to the state and central regulations and guidelines on Plastic Waste Management.

Moving forward on its mission to protect the environment and start special initiatives for ecologically sensitive regions, Dabur announced the launch of a new 'Save the Environment' campaign in Himachal Pradesh to raise awareness within communities on managing plastic waste within their household. "The company will distribute cotton carry bags to replace the Plastic Bags currently being used in homes," Dabur India Corporate Head-Environment, Health and Safety Tusar Pattnaik said.

As part of this commitment, Dabur has also worked with school children across small towns and villages, educating them about different types of waste and the benefits of segregating them at the source. "We have also been supporting government schools by supplying them with sanitation facilities, waste bins, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material, etc. These initiatives will go a long way in creating Swachh Bharat and Swachh Himachal Pradesh. We are also working towards improving the health and livelihood of local ragpickers, waste collectors, recyclers in the state," Pattnaik said.

Since November 2018, Dabur has been a registered brand-owner with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and with all State Pollution Control Boards across India, and is committed to collecting different types of plastic waste from across the country.

"We take our impact on the natural resources in the communities where we operate seriously and have put in place measures not merely to comply with regulations but to responsibly take care of our nation and the Planet, preserve its beauty and resources for the generations to come. Every action at our company is a step towards a sustainable future," Pattnaik added.

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