Earth Day: Vedanta Aluminium unveils new Material Recovery Facilityat Jharsuguda to encourage circular economy

Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, observed Earth Day 2023 at its operations across Odisha and Chhattisgarh through several initiatives reinforcing its continued commitment to building a sustainable future. The company hasnow achieved a significant milestone in this endeavour by deploying a new Material Recovery Facility, a specialised plant to segregate and process waste into usefulmaterials, at its operations in Jharsuguda district, Odisha, home to one of the world’s largest single-location aluminium smelters. A major step towards the company’s goal of achieving ‘Zero Waste’, the new facility will help treat and sustainably managewaste material generated at the Jharsuguda plant,channelling them into new productive uses. In March 2023 alone, the facility has converted 27,828 kgs, or nearly 28 tonnes, of dry and wet waste into several useful materials. Recyclable valuable waste generated from the Material Recovery Facilityis further utilised within the plant’s operations,such as bio-compost and briquettes utilised for horticulture activities. Any non-recyclable materialsgenerated from the Material Recovery Facilityare sent to cement industries for co-processing, demonstrating new possibilities in establishing circular economy avenues within the domestic manufacturing landscape.

This has resulted in the mitigation of over 34,820 kgs of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, while also resulting in energy savings of around 48,735 kWh gained by diverting waste from being relegated to landfills towards more gainful avenues. As per expert estimates, the energy saved is enough to power the equivalent of 100 LED Televisions for 6090 hours, 100 laptops for 8120 hours, and 1000 LED bulbs for 6090 hours. On the occasion, Mr. Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd. said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, we are committed to creating a sustainable future where business needs grow in perfect harmony with the planet’s needs. Aluminium, utilised in several cutting-edge applications, is also acknowledged as one among the crucial metals that will lead the global transition to a low-carbon future, making it ‘the metal of the future’ in more ways than one. Our organizational efforts are therefore aimed at creating long-term value for all our stakeholders while minimizing our impact on the environment and also encouraging sustainable practices within the communities in which we operate, as we together work to realize the mutual goal and need for a greener planet.”

In addition, the company organised several volunteering and awareness initiativesto sensitise employees, business partners and local communities on individual responsibility towards preserving planet Earth. At Jharsuguda district in Odisha, Vedanta’s employee volunteerspartnered with State Forest Department officials to undertake a clean-up drive at Singhabaga, an important wetland area that is hometo several species of migratory birds. At BALCO, the company’s subsidiary in Korba, Chhattisgarh, employees received insights onintegrating environment-friendly practices into their daily lives.The company also celebrated the occasion with local community members in collaboration with officials from the State Forest Department, sharing with them the importance of forests and sustainable sources of livelihood linked to forests. Employee volunteers also placed eco-friendly earthen pots in the vicinity of the plant premises to provide relief to animals and birds from the summer heat. Similarly, at Vedanta’s alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha, employee volunteers planted a community garden with medicinal herbs like aloe vera, ashwagandha, tulsi, insulin plant, and peppermint.

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.