FMCG company Dabur India Ltd announced on Monday that it has become a 100 per cent ‘Plastic Waste Neutral company’ in India. The FMCG firm said that it has collected, processed and recycled around 27,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste from across India in the financial year 2021-22.

Dabur collects, processes and recycles the same amount of plastic waste that it sells in its product packaging in a year, thereby becoming a ‘Plastic Waste Neutral’ company.

“It is a matter of great pride for the entire Dabur family, who have worked towards not just collecting plastic waste from our cities, towns and villages, but also preventing the waste from reaching our landfills and oceans. This includes all types of plastic waste, from PET and HDPE bottles, PP caps and labels to multi-layered plastics and beverage cartons,” said Shahrukh A. Khan, Executive Director-Operations, Dabur.

The FMCG major had set itself a target that it will collect, process and recycle over 22,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste in the year 2021-22. Shahrukh A. Khan said, “We surpassed that target three months ahead of schedule and have enhanced our full-year target to 26,956 MT. We work with government-registered recycling partners across the country and have taken progressive actions to reduce plastic waste in cities, town, villages, while also raising awareness about plastic waste management within the community. The collected plastic waste is being sent to different Recyclers, Waste-to-Energy Plants and Cement Kilns.”

Dabur had rolled out its Plastic Waste Management initiative in the year 2017-19 as part of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rule 2016, 2018 (amended). The company confirmed that it has, till date, collected a total of over 54,000 MT of plastic waste direct from the end-users with the help of local ragpickers in 150 cities across India.

Dabur has also announced the launch of a new ‘Save the Environment’ campaign in Himachal Pradesh to create awareness within communities on managing plastic waste within their household. Tusar Pattnaik, Head-Environment, Health & Safety, Dabur, said, “The Company will be distributing cotton carry bags to replace the plastic bags that are currently being used in households.

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