Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL), a leading integrator of digital networks, has announced that it has received Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) certification for its optical fiber cable manufacturing plants in Italy and India. It is worth noting that back in 2020, STL was the first OFC and cable manufacturer to get the ZWL certificate for its manufacturing plants located in Maharashtra, India. Fast forward to 2022, the company has extended the best practices and waste diversion rate to the remaining plants in India and Italy. It makes STL one of the most sustainable optical solutions companies across Europe and India. The World Bank predicts that annual waste generation will increase by 73% to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050. STL’s Zero Waste to Landfill initiatives, a part of the company’s larger goal to be Net-Zero by 2030, aim to repurpose ~99% of the industrial byproducts back into the production cycle. Since 2018, STL has diverted 1,75,000+ Metric Tonnes (MT) of waste away from landfills, including 42,000+ MT in FY22. STL’s ZWL approach includes various industry-first initiatives like co-processing of optical fibre cables and LSZH (Low-Smoke-Zero-Halogen) wastes, purification of chemical by-products for industrial usages and precision water management, among other initiatives. STL has also moved to sustainable packaging called S.U.R.E (Sustainable, User-Friendly, Reliable, and Efficient) to reduce overall carbon emissions in the fibre lifecycle. Commenting on this achievement, Akanksha Sharma, Global Head ESG, STL, said, “As a global optical technology leader, with customers in over 100 countries, effective and efficient waste management is our top priority. This feat of Zero Waste to Landfill for all our operational plants will go a long way in building a ‘greener’ value chain for optical products.
