Swachh Bharat Diwas: ITC reiterates commitment to ‘Garbage Free India’

On the occasion of Swachh Bharat Diwas, leading conglomerate ITC has reiterated its commitment to 'Garbage Free India'. For this, the company, in a statement, is strengthening its sustainable circular economy initiatives, with a focus on responsible waste management. A part of these initiatives is the company’s 'Well Being Out of Waste' (WOW) programme, aimed at raising awareness, segregating, collecting, managing, and recycling solid waste.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Swachhta Hi Seva, ITC has launched a nationwide programme to mobilise its employees across factories, hotels, and offices to raise awareness about best waste management practices. 

The WOW initiative, ITC said, has led to collection of as much as 64,000 metric tonnes of dry waste from over 1,200 wards across Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Chennai, and Delhi, among others. It added that for this programme, the conglomerate has collaborated with Urban Local Bodies, thereby creating sustainable livelihoods for waste collectors. 

ITC is widely renowned as a pioneer in sustainability in India, and it has been solid waste recycling positive for 16 consecutive years. The company has also maintained its status as plastic neutral for two consecutive years. 

ITC waste-reduction initiatives

ITC's social investments programme, ‘Mission Sunehra Kal’, also aims to support the Swachh Bharat Mission through its Solid Waste Management (SWM) programme. Through this, ITC collaborates with Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats, offering SWM models for towns, villages, and temples to manage both wet and dry waste and minimise waste sent to landfills. The ITC Green Temple Initiative, which is a part of this programme, covers 950 places of worship, processing waste from temples to produce biogas and compost.

The company said that its Sustainability 2.0 agenda aims to achieve 100 per cent reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging by 2028. To reduce its environmental footprint, ITC said that it is exploring sustainable alternatives to plastic and optimising packaging without compromising product integrity. The company is also increasing the use of post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) content in its FMCG products.

ITC Hotels, under its 'Responsible Luxury' credo, has successfully reduced the use of single-use plastics across 150 touchpoints within its operations, resulting in the elimination of approximately 2.5 lakh kg of plastic waste annually.