Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Changing Need of Waste Management
Waste Management Conclave 2016 hosted by Godrej Good & Green
Mumbai, 09 May, 2016: With the commitment to create an inclusive and greener India, Godrej Group today hosted its Third Annual Good & Green Conclave on Waste Management. As a step towards addressing some of the big issues impacting the planet, this year’s conclave brought eminent leaders and experts together to deliberate and share their views on sustainable waste management practices.
Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman and Managing Director, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd and Mr. Nadir Godrej, Managing Director, Godrej Industries Ltd inaugurated the event with a welcome speech. It was followed by a series of panel discussions by industry experts on the changing needs of waste management. One of the many interesting perspectives shared during the conclave was about how localised waste management can be linked to wealth creation.
Mr. Jamshyd Godrej mentioned, “At Godrej, we have always been concerned towards maintaining the right balance between environment and industry. Our Good & Green vision helps us to focus on greener India, hence a part of our sustainability plan involves achieving zero waste. It has always been our endeavour to manage the waste produced by our business and recycle them. Our teams are working together to constantly come up with innovative processes for higher levels of sustainable productivity.” He further added, “It is important that Indian industry should focus on adopting a Green purchase policy and cleaner production technologies.”
Putting forward his heartfelt opinion, Mr. Nadir Godrej said, “As a group, our vision is to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2020. Towards our vision of building a greener India, we are now exploring ways to further this commitment through ‘shared value’ initiatives that create both social and business benefits. The third annual Good and Green conclave on Waste Management is an effort to contribute meaningfully to the communities that we are a part of. We are glad that the conclave brought together renowned leaders and experts to share their experiences and discuss sustainable pathways for the future.”
The conclave, attended by 250 people, witnessed participation from stalwarts of the industry such as Vivek Agarwal, Chairman, ICWM, Anirban Ghosh, Vice President – Strategic Planning and New Business Development, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mukul Rastogi, Vice President, ITC and Chetan Zaveri, Vice President, IL & FS and and Deeksha Vats, Sr.Vice President – Sustainability, Aditya Birla and Ms Bharati Chaturvedi, Founder Chintan,, Ms Jyoti Mhapsekar, President, Sree Mukti Sanghatana from Social sector
Urban India is unfortunately the world’s third-largest garbage generator with more than 45 million tonnes, or three million trucks worth, of garbage remaining untreated and disposed improperly.
It is a matter of extreme concern that only 68 per cent of the garbage generated in the country is collected, of which only 28 per cent is treated by the municipal authorities. If this issue is not tackled efficiently, total waste generation is projected to be 165 million tonnes by 2031 and 436 million tonnes by 2050.
Various initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the revised Solid Waste Management Rules are small steps towards achieving effective waste management. However, this could only happen when waste management & recycling activities are transformed into a “National Movement” by involving all the stakeholders
About Godrej Group:
Established in 1897, the Godrej Group enjoys the patronage of 1.1 billion consumers globally across consumer goods, real estate, appliances, agriculture and many other businesses.
With a revenue of over USD 4.1 billion, we are growing fast, and have exciting, ambitious aspirations. Our Vision for 2020 is to be 10 times the size we were in 2010.
About Godrej Good & Green:
At Godrej, our sustainability strategy Good & Green is driven by the desire to help create a more inclusive and greener India. Launched in 2011 as one of our four key imperatives for 2020, Good & Green is based on shared value, a principle that aligns business competitiveness and growth with social and environmental impact. At its root lies the idea that companies can help solve critical social issues while strengthening their competitive advantage.
By 2020, we aspire to create a more employable Indian workforce, build a greener India, and innovate for ‘good’ and ‘green’ products*. Our specific goals include –
These goals are fuelled by Brighter Giving, a structured volunteering platform through which employees can offer their time and skills to help address a non-profit organisation’s needs.
*Our ‘good’ products are designed to address a critical social issue (eg. healthcare and sanitation) for consumers at the base of the income pyramid. We define ‘green’ products as those that are environmentally sustainable.