KORBA, 25th April 2023: On the occasion of Earth Day, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, undertook several initiatives to promote sustainable practices and encourage employees, business partners and community members to do their bit towards conserving the planet.
The company is observing the week of 22nd April to 29th April as a ‘Paperless Week’, encouraging its teams and business partners to utilize digital mediums for their tasks. Previously, BALCO has also taken steps to minimize the usage of single-use plastic inside the plant, including through zero-plastic company events, and is rapidly moving towards becoming completely single-use plastic-free.
The company also encouraged its employees to bring their own coffee mugs to the workplace, towards reducing the usage of paper cups, which are not reusable. Sessions on waste segregation at source were also organized for employees, business partners, and family members. At BALCO, the composite waste collected from the township is used to make organic compost, which is also made available for sale and is widely utilized by the resident families in their home gardens.
Apart from these initiatives, BALCO also celebrated Earth Day with community members in Bhatgaon near BALCO. More than 40 women participated in the event, which was organized in partnership with officials from the State Forest Department. The women were informed about the importance of safeguarding the environment and planting more trees, with the officials highlighting how people could avail of the Mukhya Mantri Vriksh Sampada Yojna Scheme to enhance greenery within their community. The event concluded with plantation activities in Bhatgaon Government School and the distribution of saplings among the women. Additionally, eco-friendly earthen pots were placed across several locations for birds and animals to help beat the scorching heat.
Speaking on Earth Day, Mr. Rajesh Kumar, CEO & Director, BALCO said, “BALCO is committed to promoting sustainable practices and safeguarding the environment. Earth Day is an important occasion for us to come together and take concrete steps towards sustainable practices and nurturing the environment. Our commitment to safeguarding the environment is embedded in our vision, corporate objectives, production processes, and the way we conduct our business.”
Aligned with its vision of ‘Zero Harm, Zero Waste, and Zero Discharge’ BALCO has planted approximately 1.2 lakh saplings in FY23 alone in the vicinity of its operations. The company is also exploring greener options for diversifying its energy sources. In recognition of its efforts towards environment conservation, BALCO has been awarded industry recognitions such as ‘Sustainable Factory of the Year’ by Frost and Sullivan, ‘GreenCo Silver’ in the CII Green Company Rating System, and others in the recent years.
