HCL Nagpur is a global technology company that has always been committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. In 2022, the company embarked on a journey to achieve TRUE certification, the world’s first zero waste certification program developed by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). The aim was to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment.

The journey towards TRUE certification began with the creation of a Zero Waste team. The team leadership was assigned to Mr. Vikrant Bhosle of HCL under the guidance of Mr. Shravan Kumar. This team was tasked with analyzing the existing waste management programs and identifying areas for improvement. The team consisted of employees from various departments, which ensured broad support and involvement from the entire organization.

The Zero Waste team quickly realized that there were opportunities to reduce waste in many areas of the company’s operations. By implementing new programs such as composting, recycling, and zero waste purchasing, HCL Nagpur was able to achieve credits in every category of the TRUE certification program.

One of the key takeaways from the certification process was the importance of stakeholder engagement. HCL Nagpur involved all employees in the certification process, not just those in the Zero Waste team. This helped to create a culture of sustainability across the organization, and employees became more aware of the impact of their actions on the environment.

Formalizing policies was another important takeaway. HCL Nagpur’s Zero Waste policies were already in place, but the HCL’s motivation to achieve highest rating as Platinum certification under TRUE ensured effective implementation of the Zero waste policies.. This has enabled the company to continue to improve its Zero Waste programs, ensuring that they remain effective and relevant over time.

HCL Nagpur was able to achieve TRUE Platinum certification, the highest level of certification in the program. This was a result of the company’s commitment to sustainable practices and its willingness to engage all stakeholders in the certification process. The certification has helped to create a culture of sustainability within the organization, and HCL Nagpur is committed to maintaining its Zero Waste policies and programs going forward.

The TRUE certification process has provided HCL Nagpur with several key takeaways, including the importance of stakeholder engagement and formalizing Zero Waste policies. These takeaways have helped the company to achieve its sustainability goals and create a culture of sustainability across the organization. The certification has demonstrated HCL Nagpur’s commitment to sustainability and its role in contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment.

Redesign:

As part of its TRUE certification journey, HCL Nagpur identified an opportunity to redesign its waste management contract with Deswal Waste Management Services. The company recognized that there was potential to further reduce waste and increase efficiency by working more closely with its waste management service provider.

HCL Nagpur worked with Deswal to create a new waste management contract that focused on the Zero Waste hierarchy. The new contract included specific requirements for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, and also included metrics for measuring progress towards Zero Waste goals.

One of the key changes in the new contract was the requirement for Deswal to provide regular reports on the types and amounts of waste being generated and how it was being managed. This information allowed HCL Nagpur to identify areas where improvements could be made and to track progress towards its Zero Waste goals.

Reduce:

HCL Nagpur decided to make at least one office function totally paperless to reduce paper consumption. In this case, the company made the move to eliminate paperwork related to insurance. This was a significant step towards reducing paper use as insurance paperwork can be extensive and time-consuming to process.

To make this transition, HCL Nagpur had to communicate with its vendors to request electronic copies only. This required working with vendors to ensure that all necessary documents were available electronically. The company also had to redesign its backup filing system to ensure that all electronic documents were properly stored and easily accessible.

Reuse:

HCL Nagpur implemented in the “Reuse” category was providing washable rags and napkins for staff and janitorial use. This helped to eliminate the use of paper towels entirely in the office. However, the janitorial team complained about the quality of the rags, and a couple of paper towel rolls did find their way back to the office.

HCL Nagpur also implemented a program to encourage the use of reusable coffee mugs and water bottles. The company provided each employee with a branded reusable coffee mug and water bottle to use at work, and installed water refill stations throughout the office.

This program helped to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups used in the office. Employees were encouraged to bring their reusable coffee mugs and water bottles from home and to refill them at the water stations throughout the day.

Compost:

HCL Nagpur has taken significant steps to manage its organic waste by adopting two key practices – the use of an organic waste converter machine and grass cycling.

The organic waste converter machine helps to convert food waste, yard waste, and other organic materials into nutrient-rich compost. This machine breaks down the waste using natural processes such as aerobic decomposition and microbial activity, resulting in a high-quality compost that can be used as fertilizer for plants.

In addition, HCL Nagpur has also implemented a grass cycling practice, where the grass clippings from the office lawns are left on the ground to decompose naturally, rather than being bagged and discarded. This practice helps to reduce the amount of organic waste that is sent to landfills, and also helps to improve the health of the soil by returning important nutrients back into the ground.

Recycling:

HCL Nagpur has partnered with Deswal Waste Management Services to implement waste segregation and recycling programs for various waste streams, including paper, glass, plastic, and metal wastes.

The first step in this process was to educate employees on the importance of segregating waste and how to do it properly. Waste segregation bins were provided to different departments in the office, with clear labeling to ensure that employees disposed of waste in the appropriate bins.

Once the waste is collected, Deswal Waste Management Services takes over and transports the segregated waste to the nearby waste recycling facility for further processing. The paper waste is recycled into paper products, while glass, plastic, and metal waste are sent for processing and manufacturing new products.

Zero waste reporting:

HCL Nagpur, realized the importance of tracking our waste generation and costs in order to achieve our Zero Waste goals. As a part of the TRUE certification process, HCL Nagpur started tracking our waste bills separately from other office expenses, so that we could focus on understanding and reducing our waste costs.

With a separate waste expense category, the facility was able to analyze our waste streams and identify which ones were generating the most costs. This allowed us to negotiate better fees with our waste management vendor and explore alternative waste management options that could reduce our costs further.

Waste Diversion:

Waste diversion refers to the practice of diverting waste from landfills by recycling, composting, or repurposing it. At HCL Nagpur, they have set up data tracking systems to determine their diversion rates.> To achieve over 99% waste diversion goals, HCL Nagpur could follow the below strategies:

1. Reduce waste at the source: HCL Nagpur can reduce waste generation by encouraging employees to bring lunch in reusable containers, promoting paperless communication and document sharing, and avoiding single-use products.
2. Implement a comprehensive recycling program: HCL Nagpur could partner with reliable waste management vendors like Deswal Waste Management Services to establish a robust recycling program for paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic wastes. This could also include composting of organic waste through organic waste converter machines and grass cycling practices.
3. Conduct waste audits: HCL Nagpur could conduct waste audits to identify the types and amounts of waste generated in the office, and to determine areas where waste reduction and recycling efforts could be improved.
4. Educate employees: HCL Nagpur could educate its employees on proper waste management practices, such as waste segregation, the importance of recycling, and the benefits of reducing waste.
5. Measure and report progress: HCL Nagpur could measure and report its progress towards achieving its waste diversion goals to identify areas where additional improvements could be made. By regularly reviewing the data and setting new targets, HCL Nagpur can continuously improve its waste diversion efforts.

Zero waste purchasing:

HCL Nagpur has taken various initiatives to achieve their zero waste goals. One of these is the training of the purchase team. The team is trained to identify environmentally preferred products (EPP) and to purchase products from vendors who meet the zero waste standards. HCL Nagpur gives preference to EPP producers and suppliers for their purchases. These vendors are selected based on the criteria of sustainability, environmental performance, social responsibility, and economic viability.

Moreover, HCL Nagpur prefers green pro certified products for purchase. These products have met rigorous environmental standards and have been certified by an independent third-party organization. This certification ensures that the products have a lower environmental impact and are made using sustainable practices.

Additionally, HCL Nagpur purchases products in large quantities to reduce packaging waste. By buying products in bulk, they can reduce the amount of packaging materials that would otherwise end up in the waste stream. This strategy also helps to reduce transportation emissions and saves money on shipping costs.

Leadership:

Leadership played a crucial role in HCL Nagpur’s achievement of over 99% waste diversion. The top management provided support and resources to the zero waste team, and created a culture that prioritized waste reduction and sustainability.

The management recognized and rewarded employees for their waste management initiatives through various means such as employee appreciation awards, bonus, and public recognition. This encouraged employees to continue to innovate and improve waste reduction efforts.

The job description of the zero waste team was redefined to make them responsible for achieving zero waste goals. They were given the authority and resources to identify and implement waste reduction measures throughout the organization. This empowered the zero waste team to create a culture of sustainability and waste reduction within the organization, and ensured that waste reduction was prioritized across all departments.

Training:

HCL Nagpur conducted staff training to educate its employees on zero waste initiatives. The training material was provided on a common server, which was easily accessible to all staff members. The training material included videos, documents, and presentations related to waste management, segregation, and recycling.

To ensure that all employees had access to the training, online training sessions were also conducted. The training sessions were interactive, and employees were encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas on waste reduction.

Apart from online training sessions, road shows were also conducted to educate employees on the importance of waste reduction. The road shows were conducted in different parts of the office, and staff members were encouraged to participate in activities related to waste management, such as composting and recycling.

The zero waste team was responsible for conducting the training sessions and road shows. The team was redefined to include members from different departments, including HR, Facilities, and IT, to ensure that waste reduction was integrated into all aspects of the organization.

Zero waste analysis

The internal team at HCL Nagpur conducted a zero waste audit by examining their waste stream to identify areas where they could improve their waste reduction efforts. This was done by conducting a thorough waste stream analysis to identify which materials were being disposed of and in what quantities. They then categorized the materials into the following categories:

1. Recycle: This category included all materials that could be recycled, such as paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and rigid plastics.
2. Reduce: This category included materials that could be reduced in quantity or eliminated altogether, such as single-use plastic items, excess packaging, and disposable items.
3. Reuse: This category included materials that could be reused in some way, such as refillable water bottles, reusable coffee cups, and cloth napkins.
4. Waste contamination: This category included materials that were not recyclable or compostable and needed to be disposed of in the trash.

Once the materials were categorized, the team analyzed the results to identify areas where they could improve their waste reduction efforts.

Upstream Management:

The purchase team of HCL Nagpur played a vital role in upstream management by proactively seeking out and working with vendors who offer environmentally sustainable products and packaging. They also used their purchasing power to incentivize vendors to switch to eco-friendly alternatives by giving preference to those who use 100% recyclable packaging.

By collaborating with vendors who share their commitment to sustainability, the purchase team helped to create a market demand for environmentally-friendly products and packaging. They also ensured that their own organization’s upstream impact on the environment was minimized by sourcing products and materials that were sustainable and had minimal waste.

In addition, the purchase team was responsible for evaluating the environmental impact of new products and services before they were purchased. By doing so, they ensured that all purchases were aligned with HCL Nagpur’s Zero Waste goals and helped to reduce the amount of waste that was generated by the organization.

Closed Loop:

There are several ways in which HCL Nagpur promoted the use of local materials to achieve the closed loop TRUE credit:

1. Sourcing worm compost locally: HCL Nagpur started sourcing worm compost locally instead of using chemical fertilizers. This helped them achieve the closed loop credit as they were able to reuse the organic waste generated in the office to produce compost that was used to fertilize plants in the office. By sourcing locally, they were able to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation.
2. Purchasing office paper from local suppliers with recycling content: HCL Nagpur started purchasing office paper from local suppliers that used recycling content. This helped them achieve the closed loop credit as they were able to close the loop on paper production by reusing paper waste in the production of new paper. By purchasing from local suppliers, they were able to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation.
3. Encouraging local suppliers to adopt sustainable practices: HCL Nagpur also worked with their local suppliers to encourage them to adopt sustainable practices, such as using recycled content in their products, reducing packaging waste, and minimizing their carbon footprint. By promoting sustainability in their supply chain, HCL Nagpur was able to achieve the closed loop credit and contribute to the overall sustainability of their community.

Innovation:

HCL Nagpur’s zero waste program included several innovative initiatives that helped the company to achieve its zero waste goals. One such initiative was the adoption of liquid organic waste composting. This allowed the company to convert liquid organic waste such as food scraps and other organic materials into nutrient-rich compost, which could be used for gardening and other purposes. This helped the company to reduce its waste stream and also contributed to sustainable agriculture.

Another innovative initiative was the company’s practice of donating surplus office supplies to local schools as a form of support. This helped the company to reduce its waste stream by diverting surplus materials that would have otherwise been discarded, while also providing much-needed supplies to schools in the local community. This initiative helped to build goodwill with the community and demonstrated the company’s commitment to sustainability and waste reduction.

“Firstgreen Consulting is proud to have been a part of HCL Nagpur’s journey towards sustainability and achieving zero waste. We believe that every step towards sustainability counts, and HCL Nagpur’s commitment to zero waste is an inspiring example for other companies to follow.”