Greyparrot rose to fame by successfully deploying the right superhero—artificial intelligence (AI)—to identify and remove one of the most villainous global products: plastic, in waste management.

The rise of this UK-based firm took place at a time when globally 91% of over 300 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic waste produced annually are not being recycled, repurposed or reused.

Of that figure, more than 80% of the world’s sewage is discharged into the environment untreated every year, with at least 14 MMT of plastic ending up in the oceans.

Concerns stay afloat

Since 2005, plastics have entered the oceans in an “unprecedented” amount and, according to peer-reviewed research led by the 5 Gyres Institute that looked at surface-level plastic pollution data from 11,777 ocean stations from 1979 to 2019, nearly 171 trillion plastic particles were afloat in the oceans. If no further action is taken, by 2040 this figure is likely to rise 2.6 times, it added.

“To address this problem of plastic pollution, organizations need to adopt a few smart measures. First, the focus should shift from the production of plastics to recycling and reusing. Second, bringing in the right visibility to accelerate the emission reduction across the supply chain traceability in its entirety. Sometimes, it can be role-based or persona-based information, and real-time data needs to come in to enable a timely decision. This is where a complete digital transformation of the supply chain is very important. Technologies like AI, IoT, 5G, cloud and blockchain create the difference,” says Vijayanand Gejji, Practice Head - Sustainability Engineering and Cost Management CoEs at HCLTech.

“Also, digital twins give a clear picture of the situations, scenarios and disruptions. For example, how does it impact the war against emissions data and how it can be offset? Can production be increased in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way in that phase? Digital twins bring in this transparency, while AI helps with better decision-making with the segregation of the right data that’s in the cloud. IoT-enabled sensors provide the right data that are supported by 5G connectivity with its speed in real-time and blockchain keeps the operations secured and transparent in the plastic and petrochemical industry by bringing in a holistic transformation of the overall supply chain from a digital perspective,” continues Gejji.

He adds: “Additionally, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models are succeeding across the value chain with their applications in different forms. These are changing the overall ecosystem and creating resilient business models creatively with the inclusion of sustainability, which not only helps an organization reduce their use of plastics but also gives back to the economy, society and the environment.”

How HCLTech is contributing to the green cause

From pedestrian-friendly streets to cycling lanes and golfcarts (electric vehicles), HCLTech campuses in India are free from single-use plastics and its paper waste is recycled and reused. Abiding by the rules set by the Indian government, it has adopted measures to dispose hazardous waste (2.08MT), biomedical waste (3.9MT) and e-waste (127 MT) in FY’21-22 and has set a goal of ‘zero waste to landfill’ by 2025.

Instead of diving deep into the oceans, it has started its work at grassroot and beach cleanup, recycling drives, reviving freshwater bodies and afforestation are among its leading steps.

1. HCLTech CSR Italy took part in the plastic free day in Rome and Milan, cleaning of plastic and waste in parks, beaches and local areas
2. Awarded five-star Garbage Free City rating in Swachh Survekshan in 2021, HCL Foundation’s Clean Noida campaign immensely contributed to making Noida India’s cleanest medium city
3. In 2022, HCLTech announced a partnership with UpLink with a $15 million investment over five years to drive a freshwater conservation and management agenda
4. In 2019, the HCLFoundation also signed an MoU with National Mission for Clean Ganga and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage to ramp up afforestation. The green initiative included the plantation of 10,000 saplings of native tree species in five years

“In the past, business models focused on generating the most profit. Today, the situation is different. Sustainability is shaping the direction of the business. Besides preparing year-on-year financial statements, organizations are now also presenting their sustainability statements, which is now mandatory in Europe,” says James Trebilco, Senior Sustainability Manager at HCLTech.

He adds: “Focusing on ESG reporting is bringing a structure that serves the social sector and includes how businesses are being run for the employees, the customers and in the delivery of the actual product itself from a governance perspective.

“The moment environmental practices enter a business setting, an organization will automatically start looking into bringing about circular economy principles. If a manufacturer has certain packaging that’s adding to its waste or waste at the customers’ end, it is now switching to a more biodegradable substance or one that can be recycled and repurposed. This simple transformation not only is adding to financial benefits but also to environmental including the reduction in the use of single-use plastic. This is where efficiency, optimization, emissions and sustainability can all be brought into the same proposition, in terms of cutting down wastage and things that aren’t needed.”

Plastic pollution disruptors

Greyparrot, Footprint, WasteShark and Polytag are examples of companies reducing plastic pollution by embracing new-age technologies to create a circular economy. Here are some other companies setting examples with their circular and green initiatives to help protect the planet:

1. Achieve Pack: A Hong Kong-based consulting firm that produces Pouch.eco, a container for small and large food and beverage companies made of 100% compostable plant-based materials
2. Anchor: One of New Zealand’s biggest milk producers, has developed a two-liter milk bottle made from renewable and sustainably sourced sugarcane
3. Apeel: It has created a plant-based protective layer to help produce stay fresh for a longer time and reduced the amount of food packaging  eliminating the need for single-use plastics on their fruit and vegetables
4. BAM!: The Belgian zero-waste online grocery store offers a selection of dried foods and ready meals that come in either completely compostable packaging or in glass jars that are reusable or returnable
5. Conscious Foods: It is focused on recycling plastic packaging, it encourages customers to return used products and in return they receive a free packet of raw sugar with their next order

To add to this list, there are many more like Ecologic, Ecovative Design, Flight Coffee, Food Waste Policy Finder, Frosta, Futamura, Imperfect Foods, LICKALIX, Loop, Notpla, Sun & Swell, Us Two Tea, Vegan Dairy, We Bar None and Zero who are fully focused on packaging and recycling of their used products.

“If we take the above-mentioned examples, especially the consumer-facing products, it’s a very creative canvas where manufacturers are coming up with innovative business models and transforming age-old techniques, including using plastic and its various forms, to deliver value and sustainability to consumers,” adds Gejji.

At a time when plastic continues to be part of our daily life, responsible organizations are deciding to change the tide. They have successfully embraced green substitutes to create a difference in their own operations. To fully eradicate single-use plastic, a true circular economy that has greater and wider transparency in the entire plastics supply chain is required. This will not only help organizations understand its material and financial flows in a better way, but also the environmental impacts and how effectively sustainability commitments and government policies can be implemented.