The top bracket
• Environment policy/policy statement: Even if these companies do not have environment policy statements with all the details worked out, they do have formal environment policy statements. They also have environment departments with senior managers looking after their day-to-day affairs
l Chemical recovery plants and lime kilns: Several companies that have featured high in the ratings have installed chemical recovery plants and other elaborate mechanisms to recover chemicals in the wastes they generate. Some of the best among the top bracket have installed kilns to recover lime from the sludge that is left after chemicals are recovered from pulping wastes (black liquor)
l Improvements in bleach plant processing: Most of the companies that have done well in the ratings have been moving away from highly polluting elemental chlorine bleaching. There is a trend to move towards elemental chlorine-free bleaching processes among the better companies
l Efficiency: These companies are better than the average Indian company at getting the maximum out of the raw materials they use. In general, they reveal better process efficiency and continuously decreasing trends of fibre, water energy and chemical use
l Sound at fibre sourcing: The companies show a trend towards social/farm forestry in sourcing their raw materials and are less dependent on government-owned natural forests
l Compliance with pollution norms: They meet the pollution norms set by the respective state pollution control boards for emissions, effluents and solid wastes and some even have their own internal pollution standards
l Sound pollution control equipment: Almost all the companies in the top bracket have spent a considerable amount of money to install pollution control devices such as effluent treatment plants and equipment to control emissions
l Recycling and reuse of raw materials: There is a clear trend towards recycling and reusing as much of the wastes generated as possible. One example is the generation of energy from wood chips and sludge from effluent treatment plants
l Profitability: Most companies with better than average environmental records are making profits. There is a clear link between sound environmental performance and profitability
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