Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has announced that all its eight facilities in India, including six manufacturing plants, have been certified as 'Zero-Waste-to-Landfill' (ZWL).
The Zero Waste-to-Landfill project began at Hero MotoCorp's Neemrana facility in Rajasthan in the fiscal year 2018-19. Since then, the company has reduced waste by 40% and achieved a diversion rate of more than 99.9% across all plants, well ahead of the 2025 target.
On World Environment Day, Niranjan Gupta, CEO of Hero MotoCorp, stated, 'Sustainability is a commitment in our journey to be an environment-friendly business. Our zero-waste-to-landfill policy reflects our belief that sustainable manufacturing is as crucial as providing quality, fuel-efficient products and creating an engaging customer experience.'
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, Gupta added, 'As our country grapples with solid waste management, resulting in overflowing landfills, Hero MotoCorp aims to set a guiding example for the industry by achieving zero waste-to-landfill status.'
Sunil B Medge, Regional Manager of M/s Intertek India Pvt. Ltd, the certifying body, said, 'Hero has successfully reduced its waste output through segregation at source, reusable packaging, and using waste as an alternate energy source. One unique example is the upcycling of grinding sludge into Ferric Alum, a resource used in the textile and water treatment industries.'
Hero MotoCorp’s six manufacturing plants in India are located in Dharuhera and Gurugram in Haryana, Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Neemrana in Rajasthan, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, and Halol in Gujarat. The company also has a Global Parts Centre (GPC) in Neemrana and a Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur. Achieving zero-waste-to-landfill required a comprehensive approach and innovative practices.
Key initiatives include adopting a water-based painting system that eliminates Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions and paint sludge, switching to robotic painting processes to reduce paint consumption and sludge generation, and upgrading chemical components in the paint pre-treatment process to reduce hazardous waste and water usage.
Hero MotoCorp’s efforts also extend to recycling and reuse, exemplified by the upcycling of grinding sludge into useful products like alum, demonstrating the company's commitment to sustaining a circular economy.
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