Recycling of paper: Essar leads the way in addressing paper waste

Essar Foundation established a paper recycling plant in Hazira, Gujarat to recycle the waste paper generated at their offices in the area.

Disposing of waste paper generated from offices is a major challenge in housekeeping at large organizations. Paper recycling and reuse should be a common practice in most offices as it is cost saving and minimises damage to the  environment. Reuse of paper is helpful in saving trees, energy, water and other natural resources.

Most of the office waste paper is not actually not a waste. The paper stationery such as letterheads, copy paper, computer printouts, newspaper and cardboard are recyclable. An effective paper recycling initiative for organization is good for the environment concern and insures compliance with the law.

To address the issue of waste paper in the organization, Essar Foundation, the CSR arm of Essar, has been working on several green initiatives since its inception. In March 2015, Essar Foundation has inaugurated a paper recycling plant in Hazira, Gujarat to recycle the waste paper generated at Essar offices in the area.

The recycled paper is converted into note pads, envelopes and carry bags which are then used by Essar employees. The recycled paper is also used to package hand-made bakery products like nankhatai, cookies and chocolates that are produced at various Essar Lok Vikas Kendras.

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The plant has a monthly production capacity of 2,000 sheets, and as of March 2016, the plant has recycled over 1,500 kilograms of paper.

How paper is recycled at Essar

• Waste paper is collected from the offices in the assigned bins and deposited in a larger recycling containers.
• The waste paper collected is transported to the recycling plant at Hazira, Gujarat and subsequently  separated into various types and grades.
• The separated paper is then washed with soap water to remove inks, staples and glue.
• Washed paper is put into a larger container and mixed with water to create ‘slurry’.
• By adding various raw materials to the slurry, variety of paper products are created.