How Tata Chem took to cutting waste

Globally, concern for environmental damage by polluting industries has reached fever pitch. Companies are increasingly waking up to the fact that the only sustainable path into the future is through embracing the zero emissions doctrine.

In India, however, companies are still largely practising what is known as the “end-of-the-step” approach. They need to move beyond recycling to minimisation of waste generation.
Best practices

The new paradigm means revisiting the whole production process, whereby discarded material can be reused by some other industry —- emulating nature herself, where everything has a use and purpose.
In India, industries dealing with chemical waste have embraced the philosophy of waste minimisation, as a step forward from waste management. They have found that waste minimisation offers significant benefits. These include reduced costs associated with disposal, dealing with liabilities and improving the working conditions for their employees.

The Tata Chemicals plant at Mithapur in Gujarat is a case in point. The region faced severe drought and the company addressed this even as it minimised effluent production. Solid waste is used for horticulture, and liquid effluents are recycled as much as possible.
Tata Salt is an example of how zero waste creates a new industry, products and jobs —- it emerged out of Tata Chemicals’ water management innovations in Mithapur.

Service industries are no less polluting. The hotel industry has taken several initiatives to manage solid waste. Maurya Shereton, the Taj group of hotels and several others have opted to go green. These include segregating wet and dry garbage for recycling and initiating a supplier programme for returnable packaging. The industry converts waste into usable by-products that are sold for substantial profit. For example, lemon peel is converted to dried powder for facials in beauty parlours. The food garbage is converted into vermiculture beds to produce garden compost.

Another service provider, the healthcare sector has greater issues to address. While nearly 80% is general waste, the remaining 20% is hazardous material that could be radioactive, toxic, or cause infection. Current management techniques like land filling or incineration are not adequately addressing health concerns. Other cutting edge alternatives include autoclaving, microwaving and chemical treatment.

Arguments against

That there are significant barriers to the zero-waste drive is clear. Some of the predominant arguments are:

It is an expensive proposition

We have done our bit, the rest is someone else’s job

The government should subsidise this investment 

Our customers will not be willing to share the costs 

Resources are abundant and unlimited, a little pollution would not matter 

My effort alone is not enough. So why should I take this step unless others agree too?

The only answer to the above is this - “Polluting industries have a short lease in life, if they continue down this path.” The consumer is already bearing the costs of pollution; they just might be willing to share the price of protection. Best of all, zero emission would allow such companies to save costs in the long run.
Path-breaking effect

In the long run, zero emission is expected to create jobs and increase revenues. Like other path-breaking management tools, viz. zero defects through total quality management and zero inventory through just-in-time management, zero emission is expected to have a positive ripple effect on different industries.

Suresh Lulla is the managing director of Qimpro Consultants, founder of the BestPrax Club, and chairman of the IMC Quality Awards Committee. In 2005, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Quality Management Consultancy.