Please highlight the sustainability initiatives rolled out by Chandpur Paper
Paper and sustainability are synonymous. Paper manufacturers have become more conscious of environmental issues and are taking steps to reduce them. All the same, we can lessen the harm but can’t eliminate it completely.
There are three kinds of paper: A. forest-based (virgin fiber), B. agro-residual, and C. waste-paper-based (secondary fiber). We deal with type 3.
In the past, category A was regarded as the highest quality, followed by category B, and category C as the lowest. However, with modern technologies, the disparity is eradicated. As we compete with the virgin fiber mills, manufacturers like us are now concentrating on how to produce the highest quality paper from secondary fiber.
Our output is at par with the paper produced with the virgin fiber.
What is the fuel you use to power the boilers?
As a first step toward sustainability, we run our boilers without using traditional fuels like coal. Our boilers run on locally sourced bagasse, which is locally sourced. We do not use bagasse from sugarcane, as it is a raw material to make paper. Our strategy to source local agro-waste, provides small farmers an additional revenue.
Eucalyptus leaves are also used as a fuel and are sourced from local farmers who plant eucalyptus trees in boundary areas. Eucalyptus cultivation has transformed into agriculture, with plywood and paper manufacturing facilities in the area as a ready market for them. While the main stems are used for ply-boards making, bark, leaves, and residuals are turned into fuel. Though we produce paper, we are mindful of the impact on the environment.
We also have sizable solar power. Renewable energy contributes a significant proportion to our energy needs with bagasse (25%), rooftop solar (5 % with 1 L units/month), and remaining being fulfilled by the state grid. We have recently signed an MoU with a solar plant developer who will supply power through open access. This will increase our renewable energy proportion. With this, roughly 65% of our total consumption will be from renewable energy.
Paper mills are often being pulled up as polluters because of effluent discharged in the water bodies. What are the measures your company has taken to address the issue?
Since we use secondary fiber raw materials, chemical/emission intensity is significantly lower than that of the virgin fiber-based manufacturers. Our factory doesn’t release any water into any gutters, rivers, or drains.
Given the detrimental effects that effluents have on the environment, we have made it our goal to treat all water. The surrounding farmlands receive this treated water. Farmers are more than willing to take water from us since we follow all the parameters. Due to the growing number of farmers requesting water discharged from our factory, we have reached a point where we have to implement rationing.
We are proud to establish a benchmarking process for the industry, which has proven to be rewarding in numerous ways.
Can you quantify the volume of water discharged per day?
We treat the wastewater using the latest water treatment technologies before it is discharged from our premises. Such treated effluent is in the range of 150-200 KL per day. 100% of this treated water is utilized for irrigation purposes by the farmers , meaning nothing goes into natural water bodies.
Paper manufactured from waste paper is circularity. How strong is your supply chain? What are the raw material challenges?
Every day, we need between 100 and 120 tons of raw materials. This comes from two distinct sources. a) Our regular vendors, who have been in business for years, are an integral part of the domestic supply chain. b) through imports.
We import not due to quantity issues but quality, and 35% of our raw material demand is met through imports.
How difficult or easy was it to convince your customers to shift to recycled paper?
Since most of the clients were accustomed to virgin fiber papers, it was initially much harder to persuade them to switch to recycled papers. Customers were worried about the reliability of recycled papers’ strength and quality. It required an extensive amount of work to convince them of the cost and quality advantages.
We started by developing the strength parameter capability. Second, we made sure the paper we supply to the market would always be of the same caliper (consistent gsm of paper across the width of the reel), which is a very important factor for the applications of our paper) . Those who previously used virgin fiber have finally switched to our products because we produced a product from waste paper that was just as good.
Has your treated water ever been audited by a third party?
No, we haven’t yet carried out a third-party audit. The pollution control board monitors our operations. We strictly adhere to all procedures to ensure that our factory’s water does not end up in any water bodies.
The best certification is farmers’ increasing demand for water from our factory, and the best stamping is that the water is agri-consumable.
To give you an example, during the Mahakumbh, the pollution board had shut down many factories in the vicinity due to requests for pollution-free discharge. Since we do not release any effluent into the Ganges or any other water body, we were allowed to conduct business as usual.
Your closing remarks …
Our goal for the future is to improve effluent processing and raise the caliper of our product. We want to increase the use of renewable resources to meet the rising demand for energy. I want to say that the procedure we implemented has provided Chandpur Paper a competitive edge. We will continue to safeguard the environment and are pleased to be a part of the circularity segment. This is certainly possible!
