Tetra Pak’s new packaging material facility in Chakan, Pune, has been awarded Platinum certification by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The company claims that it is the highest recognition for sustainable building design, equivalent to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
According to the company officials, Tetra Pak received all the 81 credits that it applied for, helping the facility qualify for the Platinum rating. The certification was based on an assessment of the site under six categories: sustainability, water conservation, energy conservation, indoor environmental quality, material conservation, and innovation.
Speaking on the certification, Kandarp Singh, Managing Director, South Asia Markets, Tetra Pak said: “The Platinum certification validates our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable efforts in making the Chakan facility a ‘green site’. Driving environmental excellence is a strategic priority at Tetra Pak. The Chakan facility is an example of generating sustainable growth for customers with minimum environmental impact. With this achievement, we can ensure we always stay ahead of the growth curve in terms of capacity, capabilities and sustainability. We are proud that the Chakan facility will now become a global benchmark for others.” ?
Some of the initiatives taken by the facility include the installation of solar panels, rain water harvesting, re-use of waste water and air conditioning from the waste heat of generators to develop it into an environmentally sustainable site. Initiatives to conserve energy such as using heat from generators to power air-conditioning and usage of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to reduce costs, soil erosion prevention and control including the implementation of mulching, preservation of existing trees onsite and the post-construction erosion and sediment control (ESC) measures, access to public transport with shuttle services for all employees, natural topography and landscape in line with the open space requirement of 10 percent, were particularly appreciated by IGBC.
