by ABFRLadmin | February 15, 2024
A recap of our most sustainable year yet!
As we navigate through the fresh canvas of 2024, it’s the perfect moment to pause, take a breather and reflect on the incredible strides ABFRL made in the realm of sustainability throughout the past year. From reducing our carbon footprint to fostering relevant discussions, we have embraced a holistic approach to sustainability, weaving it into the fabric of our daily practices.
Imagine this – less waste production. That’s what we have been up to. And guess what? We found clever ways to use less energy, too! No flashy slogans, just a genuine commitment to leaving a positive mark on the planet.
But as Kermit once said: “It ain’t easy being green.”
Over the past twelve months, our dedicated team has worked tirelessly to meet and exceed our sustainability goals. Additionally, by investing in energy-efficient technologies and practices, we have significantly lowered our overall energy consumption, underlining our dedication to being responsible stewards of the environment.
Resource Efficiency
Although we are not an energy-intensive organization, we believe in taking responsibility for every bit of energy we use. 68% of the energy inside owned garment manufacturing units,warehouses and office spaces comes from renewable sources.
We have launched numerous initiatives to dial it down even further, like optimizing internal and external lighting, installation of LED lights, VFDs (Variable Frequency Devices) and efficient equipment and also designing new facilities and stores embracing green concepts. But not just energy, our green actions also pay off when it comes to water and its conservation, reuse and recycling to the extent feasible. Across our facilities, we have adopted various measures like installing and strengthening rainwater harvesting systems, sewage treatment plants, and waterless/water-efficient fixtures.
Our water stewardship journey, an amalgamation of all the initiatives in the past decade, has enabled us to achieve a significant milestone, ie Water Positive at an organizational level, in line with our Sustainability 2.0 vision and ambitious goals.
Green Buildings
Our approach to green building revolves around crafting a space that’s smart about resources, follows sustainability principles and takes a holistic view of its entire lifecycle. It is not just good for people and the planet; it’s a smart move for business too.
We have six facilities certified under the green building rating system at various levels. Among those facilities, Haritha Apparels has been certified LEED Zero Water under the USGBC rating system. Our Net Zero Buildings conserve as much energy and water as they consume, accounted for annually.
To achieve this at every facility, we aspire for zero run-off, i.e. harvest more water than the potential consumption. Secondly, treating the wastewater on-site and maximizing wastewater reuse is another part of our core strategies to attain the Net Zero level.
Circular Economy
At ABFRL, the circular economy is integral to our ‘ReEarth’ program. We have a dual approach for circularity: A. reduce overall waste and B. establish end-to-end traceability.
We are very close to reaching the closed-loop system, where waste generated is recycled, reused or upcycled. Another initiative is the ‘Zero-Waste-to-Landfill’ goal which focuses on diverting waste from landfills to ensure its safe handling and disposal.
Another brilliant initiative is at Pantaloons – ‘Out Of The Carton’ Reuse Idea – where the warehouse collected used carton boxes and repurposed them rather than discarding them as waste. In FY23, Pantaloons warehouses reused more than 6,00,000 carton boxes.
Net-Zero & Climate Change
Our climate change agenda and sustainability 2025 goals are well in sync with the Paris Agreement. We constantly adopt ways to reduce our carbon footprint across our facilities.
Over the years, through several initiatives like the installation of energy-efficient lighting systems, that consist of motion sensors and LED lighting, rooftop solar panels, solar street lights and the adoption of best Operations & Maintenance practices in electrical systems, we observed a 40% reduction in carbon emission intensity across these warehouses.
Decarbonizing our value chain is extremely important to us. ABFRL plans to engage with the suppliers to work on their fuel mix and encourage the use of recycled materials to further help us meet our sustainability targets.
Our approach to sustainability isn’t just good for the planet; it’s good for our community, our
team and our business. As we reflect on 2023, we’re not resting on our laurels. The journey
continues and we invite you to be part of it. Let’s make 2024 greener, simpler and more
sustainable, together.
I’m genuinely impressed by the depth of this article, fantastic job.