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Old Posted Sep 10, 2009, 4:37 AM
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Corporate India goes beyond lip service in eco initiatives

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A green tax may still be some way off from reality in the country, but corporate houses are already taking up the
responsibility to contribute in their own way to save the environment even without being threatened by any penalty.

Corporates in sectors as diverse as tyre manufacturing, hotels and tourism are actively pursuing ideas that save on carbon emissions and corporate gatherings are beginning to feature a 'green tambola' that aims to reinforce in everyone's mind that June 5 is the world environment day.

"Awareness is on the rise, and it is encouraging to see that green initiatives are being undertaken by companies in diverse sectors", says Kamaleshwar Sharan, president of Greentech Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO that focuses on promoting awareness about environment protection.

Mr Sharan says new ideas in emission-savings are being developed by individual corporates across the country and that Greentech Foundation was taking the lead in spreading those ideas across the corporate and social spectrum so that more people would join the green bandwagon.

At its Mysore plant, JK Tyres have introduced novel wooden boxes with hinges to transport tyres, so that the boxes are reusable, thereby saving timber. Adoption of the idea across the tyre-manufacturing sector itself is expected to lead to substantial savings in use of wood.

The Orchid hotels in Mumbai and Delhi have hit upon the idea of using live plants with flowers from flower beds to decorate tables or key areas in the hotel properties for a special occasion and then replant them back in the garden, instead of using fresh cut flowers each time.

The ITC Welcomgroup property in Mumbai is utilizing its kitchen waste to make manure, while the CGH Earth group in Kerala has a strong leaning on eco-friendliness, even insisting that its suppliers provide everything in biodegradable packaging.

Mr Sharan said additional director in the ministry of environment and forest, RK Suri had initiated the idea of the 'green tambola' in which the number 5, when picked, is announced by linking it to the world environment day of June 5, to reinforce that date in people's minds.

Source Economic Times
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