Orient Paper bags environment excellence gold award 2003-04

Mumbai: Orient Paper and Industries Limited (OPIL), a GP - CK Birla Group company, recently bagged the prestigious "Environment Excellence Gold Award - 2003-04". With this award, the company has become the only Paper Mill in India to receive the Gold Award for the third time in succession. The award was institutionalised by Greentech Foundation, a New Delhi based Indo-German NGO.

Achievements which led to OPIL winning the award for the third year in a row include attaining an eco-mark license for significantly reducing the usage of hazardous chemicals and inputs like water, coal, energy, chlorine, etc per tonne of paper by increasing raw material yield. This achievement has urged the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to revalidate OPIL's Eco-Mark License for the next two years till July 2008.

The company has formulated an environmental policy that includes activities such as afforestation, waste management handling, etc. OPIL has already succeeded in bringing thousands of acres of wastelands under forest cover. The company also plants nearly 10 million trees every year in its immediate geography.

Commenting on the achievements, NK Thusu, president (operations), Orient Paper & Industries Limited said, "We are proud to have received the 'Environment Excellence Gold Award' for the third time in a row. Upgrading our environment management systems to further enhance our conservation efforts is a continuous process at OPIL."

OPIL also complies with the stringent government norms such as ozone depletion substance reduction (regulation and control) Rules 2000 and battery (management and handling) rules 2001. The company has established a hazardous waste management plan in accordance with Hazardous Waste Handling Rules 1989.