Procter & Gamble India becomes 'plastic waste neutral' company

FMCG maker Procter & Gamble India said it has become a 'plastic waste neutral' company in FY 2021-22, after having recycled 100 per cent of post-consumer plastic packaging waste.

The company, which has a portfolio of power brands including Ariel, Tide, Whisper, Gillette, Oral B, head & shoulders and Vicks, joined the club of a few FMCG companies in India that have achieved plastic waste neutrality.

It has collected, processed, and recycled over 19,000 metric tons of post-consumer plastic packaging waste from across the country which is more than the amount of plastic packaging in its products sold in a year, P&G India said in a statement.

The company is working with recycling partners across 75 cities in India to collect plastic which is then sent to different recyclers, waste-to-energy plants, and cement kilns.

Several FMCG makers such as Dabur and Nestle India have already achieved the tag of being plastic waste neutral companies. Moreover, P&G India has also announced plans to set up two more in-house solar plants at its manufacturing sites in Goa and Mandideep (Madhya Pradesh).

This is in addition to the existing in-house solar plant that the company has set up at its Hyderabad manufacturing site in 2021. "We are proud of the significant progress we have made on environmental sustainability, and achieving 'plastic waste neutrality' is a key milestone in this journey. Plastic waste does not belong in the environment, and we will continue to partner with multiple stakeholders in our efforts to reduce and recycle packaging waste," Procter & Gamble Indian Sub-Continent CEO Madhusudan Gopalan said.