The Tata Group recognised the need to protect and conserve the

world's natural resources long before it became a mantra of

modern business.
Tata companies are recycling and utilising their waste in
innovative ways.
With the earth's resources being rapidly depleted and most of the world chanting go green, it is
not surprising that business conglomerates are finally waking up to the need to conserve and
recycle. However, the Tata Group recognised the relevance of environmentally friendly work
process many years ago. All 93 Tata companies have, in some way, been following the proverb
"waste not, want not", an endeavour that is today one of the driving themes behind their
productivity curve.
Here's a look at four Tata companies that have undertaken recycling and resource conservation
projects and successfully integrated these into their work processes in order to reduce the
ecological impact of their business.

A war on waste: Tata Steel

Tata Steel has laid great emphasis, over the years, on creating a green
environment in and around its plants and on utilising the waste generated in the process of
manufacturing steel.
Shedding light on the company's efforts, RP Sharma chief (environment and occupational health)
says: "Solid waste management over the years has been considered a business opportunity and
efforts have been made to increase the reuse and recycling of solid wastes."
"This, we believe will help improve business performance in terms of reduction in energy
consumption, reduction in raw material consumption, reduction in production cost that will result
in overall improvement in the environmental performance of the organisation."
The company generates roughly 700kg of various wastes (excluding fly ash) in the process of
producing one tonne of crude steel. Of this, 83.16 per cent is utilised either through recycling and
reuse in the company's own processes or they are sold as raw material to other industries. The
remaining waste is sent for safe land filling.
"We have estimated the cost benefit of our waste utilisation, and considering the type of waste
and present utilisation practices the entire process comes to around Rs 1.3 crore for every one
per cent of waste utilisation. Therefore, for the 83.16 per cent waste utilisation that was carried
out in FY 2004-05, the company saved around Rs 108 crore," explains Mr Sharma.
There are roughly three types of waste that are left behind namely; blast furnace slag (BF), BF
flue dust and BF Sludge, with LD slag, mill scale, fly and bottom ash from the power plants. BF
slag is used in cement making, in the manufacture of slag wool, soil conditioner, aggregate
manufacture and road construction.
As BF flue dust and BF sludge is not suitable for recycling within the process, a part of it is sold
for low-value applications such as making briquettes for use as domestic fuel. Efforts have also
been made to use LD slag as a soil conditioner in paddy fields, tea gardens, etc.
The coarse mill scale is completely recyclable and Tata Steel uses this in its blast furnaces and
sinter plants. However, part of the mill sludge contains very high levels of oil and R&D trials have
been conducted to remove the oil. The company expects to bridge the gap very soon on this
front.

A number of companies today look to Tata Steel for guidelines on efficient waste management,
and the company is confident that its 'war on waste' will have far-reaching effects.

Environmental Management
In keeping with the motto of the Tata Group, Tata Power has constantly given high priority to
social concerns.
We continually strive towards sustainable development by trying to find a balance between the
needs of our customers and responsible care for the environment. We are committed to protect
and promote the environment. We have a well-defined Environment Policy and all our plants
have environmental management system in place. Tata Power has established a Corporate
Safety, Health & Environment Department (C-SHE) which is responsible for all environmental and
safety activities in the company. Driven by our commitment to power generation harmonious with
nature, Tata Power has taken concrete steps to sustain the ecological balance.

Making Positive Environment Impact

Over Rs.100 crores have been invested on pollution control equipment at the Trombay Thermal
Power Plant to install:
1) Indias first-of-its-kind Flue Gas-De-sulphurisation (FGD) plant to reduce sulphur dioxide
emissions in flue gas, based on the sea-water scrubbing principle.
2) Electrostatic Precipitators of 99.5% efficiency.
3) Tall Chimneys (152 m and 275 m) to limit the ground level concentration of pollutants.
4) Low NOx burner to minimise NOx Pollution.
Our power stations are clean and environmentally sound. Instruments for continuous on-line
sampling and analysis of the flue gases, closed circuit television for monitoring stack emissions
and a Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Station have been provided. Annual environmental
statements are submitted to the Government Authorities as per their guidelines. Tata Power will
strive to go beyond simple compliance and excel in its environmental performance. Initiatives for
voluntary reduction in SO2, SPM, NOx and CO2 emissions are a part of ongoing strategy. The
company has carried out Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for all its new projects at
following locations: Mundra, Gujarat; Raigad, Maharashtra; Naraj Marthapur, Orissa and
Jojobera, Jharkhand.
.
The Fly ash generated from all thermal power plants is used in ready mix concrete. Trombay
Thermal Power Station has developed an in-house technology in collaboration with TERI for
treatment of oily sludge in eco-friendly manner. Some other examples of the key improvements:
1) Replacement of Indian coal by imported coal with lower sulphur and lower ash content.
2) Improvement to the channel carrying the condenser cooling water discharge.
3) Anhydrous Ammonia injection method to control SPM level.
4) New FGD for the additional 250 MW capacity that has been set-up at Trombay.
5) Maximizing the utilization of gas over other fossil fuels

Environment Protection

Long before the present global ecological concern, Tata Power realised its moral and corporate
responsibility towards environmental protection.
1) Tata Power started off over thirty years ago with eco-restoration and eco-development
programmes in its area of operation in the Western Ghats, particularly in the catchment areas of
the lakes in Mawal and Mulshi
Talukas. Since then, over 70 lakh
saplings of 60 tree species have been planted in the area.
2) The programme was intensified in 1995. Over 6 lakh trees, mainly evergreen and indigenous
species, are being planted regularly, enriching the flora and fauna of the surrounding hills.
3) A green belt of about 1 lakh trees has been raised around the Trombay Thermal power plant
and nearby hillsides.
4) Actively supports pisciculture activities at their hydro stations by assisting in the breeding of
fishes like the Mahsheer.
5) Also built and maintains two gardens in Mumbai Metropolis.

Pollution Control
Driven by its commitment to power generation harmonious with nature, Tata Power has
taken concrete steps to sustain the ecological balance. Over Rs.100 crores have been invested
on pollution control equipment at the Trombay Thermal Power Plant, to install:
1) Indias first-of-its-kind Flue Gas-De-sulphurisation plant to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in
flue gas, based on the sea-water scrubbing principle.
2) Electrostatic Precipitators of 99.5% efficiency.
3) Fly Ash aggregate plant to convert fly ash into lightweight aggregates, a valuable building
material.
4) Tall Chimneys (152 m and 275 m) to limit the ground level concentration of emissions.

Environment Education
Environment education must be made a concomitant of environment conservation. Tata
Power has taken a lead in this direction.
1) Tata Power conducts a non-formal School Comprehensive Environment Programme (SEEP)
with the help of Bharati Vidyapeeth Environment Education and Research Institute, Pune.
2) The Company has undertaken to set up an Environment Interpretation Centre to create
general awareness among people.
3) Construction of Primary schools in rural areas.
4) Constructing of one-room primary education centres in 38 remote villages in the catchment
areas to ensure that at least primary education is available. Tata Power is also committed to
assist in building 4 to 5 schools every year. 5) The Company also provide all necessary help in
running the schools at the power stations at Bhira and Bhivpuri.
6) Training imparted to more than 200 teachers under education awareness programme.
7) Improving the quality of water of village ponds.
8) Supplying drinking water from the Companys lakes to Panchayats and, on Government
request, to drought-prone villages by tankers and bullock carts.
9) Providing medical aid in rural areas by organising medical camps with the help of Doctors of
Rotary Club.

Painting the town green: Tata Tea

One of Tata Tea's most successful CSR efforts has been in its project Aranya that

trains and employs disabled youngsters to extract dyes from natural sources. The tea waste
produces dyes in a unique shade of green that is used for various dying processes.
All the packing material scrap is returned to the vendors and items that are to be disposed are
disposed in the dumps provided by the Bangalore Corporation. Wherever these facilities are not
available, the material is disposed of through shredding under strict supervision.
The volume of packaging scrap disposed at a particular time is of a minuscule quantity and does
not become a pollution concern. Though the plastic re-cycling industry in India is in a nascent
stage, Tata Tea ensures the safe disposal of all plastic that is used.
All the tea waste is sent to the company's instant tea operations for extraction of soluble solids,
which are put to use. The used tea waste from the instant tea operations of the company is either
converted to vermicompost on the estates or made into briquettes to be used as fuel for the
boilers. The process of vermicomposting that the company undertakes ensures a plant-to-soil
cycle thereby helping to build essential soil fauna and flora as well as addind to the organic
matter content of the soil for improved nutritional efficiency and uptake.
Clinical waste from the general / referral hospitals is disposed through incineration, disinfection,
deep burial and shredding, in keeping with the prescribed manner of the pollution control board.
This ensures that the waste does not damage the ecology of the region and is not in any way
harmful to the population in the vicinity of the hospitals.

The 4 R's: Tata Chemicals

The growth of Tata Chemicals has always been guided by four principles replace,
reduce, reuse and recycle in the field of energy, water and other natural resources like
limestone. Today, the company stands as the nation's biggest inorganic chemicals complex,
which is recognised in its class of business for water efficiency, energy efficiency and limestone
conservation.
Tata Chemicals replaces the use of fresh water by seawater or treated seawater wherever
possible to an extent of more than 90 per cent of the total water requirements of its operations.
For the township in Mithapur, the water supply is reduced to a minimum requirement rate through
various awareness campaigns and through the deployment of the environmental management
system. The sewage water treatment plant treats the sewage generated by the township that is
then reused for sanitary flush tanks.
The company's cement plant manages the waste from the soda ash plant. The company has also
reclaimed saline and alkaline waste dumps by using fly ash as sediment. About 12.5 acres have
been converted into a green belt and a further expansion of 10 acres is in progress. This time
soda ash effluent solids are being used along with fly ash.

Giving back to the earth: Indian Hotels+

Indian Hotels has developed a programme on minimisation of waste that is being implemented
across all its hotels. "We have effectively reduced our guestroom and other wastage from 1.2 kg /
guest / day to approximately 0.9 kg / guest / day, and our target is to meet the international
benchmark of 0.6 kg / guest / day, which, however, does not include kitchen biodegradable
wastage," explains the company's director of engineering services, KD Deodhar. The waste
programme is divided into five groups and a strict watch is kept on how the waste is either

disposed off or recycled.

Solid waste is in the form of paper, cardboard boxes, etc, or from the kitchens, housekeeping,
engineering departments, or from the purchasing departments. What all the hotels strive to do is
minimise the use of paper and stationary in their offices. The company also advocates the use of
rewritable CDs and rechargeable cells as much as possible.
All waste from the kitchen, such as vegetable peels or waste from food preparation, is sent to be
used as animal feed and the excess food from the restaurants is donated to various
organisations. Supplies are usually bought in bulk; an effort is made to buy concentrated products
to reduce packages. All organic waste is sent to the biogas plant or used for vermiculture or for
composting. Old linen is reused as dusters and aprons. The hotels also try and avoid using
plastic or polyethylene bags wherever possible.
Care is taken to minimise the waste generated from housekeeping like old torn linen, old
magazines and packaging materials. Jute or cloth bags are used in place of plastic bags, empty
plastic bottles are sent back to the supplier and bottles of half-used shampoo and soap pieces
are used in cleaning floors, etc. All garden waste is used for composting, wet / dry garbage is
collected separately and a record of the waste generated is maintained.
Scrap wood, metal and glass are disposed off in the recycler, spares of old equipment are used
before scrapping, and care is taken to separate all non-recyclable and recyclable materials in
different bins.
Wastewater chemicals, used oils from air compressors, ACs, transformers, etc, are some of the
liquid wastes that are generated on a day-to-day basis. The company treats the wastewater and
uses it for cooling towers and gardening, among other things. Used oils are disposed off only to
authorised dealers. Wherever possible, water is recycled and slurry from the wastewater plant is
dried and used in the generation of manure. The company also tries to minimise gaseous wastes
like exhaust from boilers, kitchen hoods, laundry machines, etc.
Keeping in mind the importance of energy conservation, the company has several built-in
programmes. The company monitors measurement systems and has installed energy efficient
machinery when old machines are replaced. It also uses various innovative methods, such as
separate off-line filters for cooling tower circuits, to reduce the frequent cleaning of condenser
coils.
All in all, the company is constantly looking for and devising new processes that will cut down on
waste and ensure recycling wherever possible.
The companies do admit that several challenges still remain in the complete utilisation of solid
waste but they continue to stand committed to the recycling effort exploring innovative new ways
to reduce their ecological footprint.

The Tata group has always allied itself closely with the
environment. With a comprehensive plan to combat climate
change, the group looks to strengthen the partnership
Environment and ecology are a part of the culture and ethos of the Tata group. Its companies and
trusts have traditionally nurtured practices and projects that reflect concern for conservation and

the conviction that the environment is not a disposable commodity. The close association with
nature and its causes is helping the group define the spectrum of its involvement with climate
change mitigation.
As the world reels under the tumultuous effects of shifting weather patterns in the form of rising
temperatures, floods, drought and dying species of flora and fauna, it is clear that companies and
individuals have to put their might behind nature. The environment has sounded out a clear call
for action.
However it is also clear that all action on climate change must be concerted, structured and
sustainable. It must target the rising carbon emissions and work towards the dual objective of
reducing the greenhouse gases being spewed into the atmosphere and reviving natures ability to
heal itself.
To that end, companies have to develop internal checks to ensure more responsible behaviour.
But that alone is not enough. It must be followed up by active participation in community action
against future violations.
For the Tata group, these issues are being addressed in two ways. At one level, an overall
change in organisational behaviour is being sought through the Tata Code of Conduct 2008. This
is being backed up by the climate change initiative that will be run through Tata Quality
Management Services (TQMS), which will support the companies in their attack on global
warming.

Leading from the front

1) Tata Steel recycles more than 80 per cent of the waste generated and the rest is despatched
into safe landfills.
2) At Tata Chemicals, water recycling processes and sewage treatment facilities have cut down
the dependence on fresh water. It also invests time and resources in saving the whale shark that
is an annual visitor to the Mithapur plant.
3) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has committed to building green offices; its buildings will be
rated by LEED or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System which is the internationally accepted benchmark for green buildings.
4) Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Tata Power, Tata Sponge, and Tata Metaliks have
registered projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) instituted by the UNFCCC.
The major areas under CDM projects are:
1. Waste heat recovery power generation
2. Super critical technology for power generation
3. Fuel switch
4. Methane capture
5. Energy efficiency improvements
6. Setting up of renewable energy power generation farms using wind, solar, etc.
5) Tata Motors has been an early adopter of environmentally friendly practices. Way back in 1964,
the company took over 800 acres of rocky and arid wasteland close to the Pune campus and
converted it into a mini forest with more than 1.5 lakh trees belonging to 188 species. The
company has developed a nature trail within the forest and protects a lake that is home to an
assortment of fish and other marine species.
6) Tata Chemicals runs a biodiversity reserve plantation project, driven by volunteer
employees.The objective of the project is to create a botanical reserve that will be a stronghold

for endangered plant species and a seed bank for their mass regeneration. The plantation
provides a safe breeding ground for Caspian Terns, migratory aquatic birds that visit every winter.
7)Tata Tea safeguards the rich and diverse flora and fauna around its estates in Munnar, Kerala.
It has assumed responsibility for conservation of 1,100 hectares of swamps and streams inside
and near its estates and helps protect shola grasslands in the region.The company has also
taken on the challenge of protecting the 97 square kilometre Eravikulam National Park.
The code urges all companies to exercise greater caution in the way they use natural resources
and in the manner in which they impact upon pollution levels. In the clause on health, safety and
environment, the code says: It (a Tata company) shall prevent the wasteful use of natural
resources and be committed to improving the environment, particularly with regard to the
emission of greenhouse gases, and shall endeavour to offset the effect of climate change in all
spheres of its activities.
While the code mandates a change in approach and outlook, a steering committee and a group to
lead the CCI has been set up to guide all the companies on mitigation activities. As a first step,
the group has decided to assess and benchmark its global carbon footprint and work towards its
subsequent phased reduction.
To that end, two external consultants, Ernst & Young and McKinsey & Company have been
appointed. Ernst & Young will measure the current carbon footprint and extrapolate the futuristic
carbon footprint of the group companies. Five major Tata companies have been identified for the
first stage Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals and TCS.
McKinsey & Company will help the companies establish cost abatement curves and develop high
level mitigation strategies. The two consultants will also train many champions in the Tata group
who can then cascade the initiative into other Tata companies.
As per the plan, the carbon footprint will initially be mapped at the factory level and for major
processes. In the second phase, it will be extended to minor processes.
The climate change agenda is also being pursued through initiatives such as: intensive
awareness and training programmes for all stakeholders, identification of climate change
champions and a group policy on green buildings.
Dealing with climate change is no easy task and none can underestimate the effort
involved. But as Jamshed J Irani, chairman of TQMS says, not doing anything was never
an option for the Tata group.