GURUGRAM: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, in partnership with IDEMIA Secure Transactions, today announced that it has switched from virgin plastic to recycled PVC SIM cards. This is in line with the company’s commitment to encouraging the adoption of circular business practices. IDEMIA Secure Transactions, a division of the IDEMIA Group, is a leading provider of payment and connectivity solutions for financial institutions, mobile network operators, and automotive manufacturers.

An industry first in India, Airtel is the only telecommunications service provider to switch to recycled plastic SIM cards. With this migration, the generation of over 165 tonnes of virgin plastic will be limited which will further reduce the generation of over 690 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in one year.

This migration is in line with Airtel’s continued commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and promoting circularity with supplier partners and other stakeholders to encourage them to reduce waste, recycle, and reuse products.

Pankaj Miglani, Director – Supply Chain, Bharti Airtel, said, “We are delighted to announce yet another first as we continue to lead the Indian telecom industry. As a brand, we endeavor to align our efforts to adopt various sustainable measures and contribute significantly towards India’s ambition to achieve net zero. Our collaboration with Idemia underscores our shared commitment to contributing to a sustainable future.”

Rahul Tandon, Senior VP – Connectivity Services, India, IDEMIA Secure Transactions, said, “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Airtel. We congratulate Airtel for taking the lead in reducing the carbon footprint and providing green solutions to their subscribers in India. I would also like to thank all our R&D teams for making such innovations possible.”

Airtel has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 50.2% by FY 2030-31 with FY 2020-21 as the base year. The company has also committed to reducing its absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42% over the same time frame. In line with this commitment, some of the key initiatives at Airtel include promoting energy efficiency, utilizing open-access green energy, and adopting renewable energy across operations, as well as building a climate-resilient network, resource efficiency, and waste management.

Carbon dioxide equivalent or CO₂ equivalent is a metric used to compare the emissions from various GHGs based on their global warming potential, converted to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.

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PUNE: In a grand ceremony titled “Unbottled – Towards a Greener Future”, Mr. S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, launched a special “sustainable & green” uniform exclusively designed for nearly 3 lakh IndianOil Fuel Station Attendants and Indane LPG Gas delivery personnel. The dress materials for these uniforms have been extracted from recycled polyester derived from the processing of used & discarded PET bottles. This initiative would support recycling about 405 tonnes of PET bottles, equivalent to offsetting over 20 million bottles yearly. Renowned actor and environmental activist Ms. Bhumi Pendekar also graced the launch event.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. S M Vaidya said, “These eco-friendly uniforms will shine as our green commitment, and I am delighted that our frontline energy soldiers will don them. About 8 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually, and about 150 million metric tonnes circulate in our marine ecosystems. At this pace, by 2050, there will be more plastics in the sea than fish. The conversion of plastic bottles into fabric is a beautiful example of how diligent handling of problems opens doors to new opportunities.”

Mr. Vaidya also spoke of IndianOil’s other eco-conservation outreaches like concerted drives to protect the Indian Single Horned Rhino and the reintroduction of Cheetahs in Indian forests after it went extinct over seven decades ago. He also reiterated IndianOil’s commitment to go Net Zero by 2046.

Ms. Bhumi Pendekar, while lauding IndianOil’s green outreach, said, “Each of us can play a significant role by embracing sustainability as the way of life. As a citizen of the country, I feel proud that the country’s leading energy company is undertaking unique environmental efforts like these. My thanks and compliments to IndianOil“.

A passionate advocate for the issue of climate change, Bhumi has also started a pan-India campaign, Climate Warriors, to raise awareness of environmental conservation and inspire citizens to embrace greener lifestyle choices.

Under this green initiative of IndianOil, used plastic bottles are shredded into flakes and then melted into micro-pellets. These micro-pellets are converted into yarns for weaving these green clothing. The green impact of this fabric goes even beyond the recycling benefits. The clothes match virgin polyester in quality, but its manufacture takes significantly fewer resources. Its production requires almost 60 percent less energy, and CO2 emissions are reduced by nearly one-third compared to virgin polyester. Even when these clothes wear out, the used Polycotton uniforms can be mechanically recycled and converted into low-end quilts, blankets, or even high-end denim fabric. The fabric conforms to Global Recycling Standard Certification.

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