The Parekh Group has integrated sustainability into the business since the year 2000. We have been focused on prevention and control of water wastage and air, noise & land pollution. To create a road map for this initiative, we have developed the “Parekh Environmental Sustainability Directions” for the Group. The Parekh Group strives to minimize the negative impact on the environment by applying innovative thinking to every step of manufacturing process. Building eco-friendly practices in daily processes is a part of our culture. This culture inspires us to try to make more from fewer resources and minimise waste in every form. We attempt to contribute to a better environment by reducing water consumption, minimising wastage & using renewable energy resources over conventional ones.
CSR & SUSTAINABILITY
WATER
We are continuously working to improve our water efficiency and have succeeded in bringing down the water consumption by a staggering 50 percent in spinning operations. We have metering systems across the water distribution network. Our corporate EHS team regularly monitors the metering system.
WATER SAVING
We follow the EPA guidelines that state “USING WATER EFFICIENTLY” is directly proportional to WATER SAVINGS”. The Parekh Group has developed a culture of saving this precious asset.
To save water we have:
- Designated a water efficiency coordinator.
- Developed a mission statement and a plan to achieve it
- Educated and involved employees in water efficiency efforts.
- Adopted Equipment Changes – high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, appliances and other equipment yield substantial savings on water.
As a direct result of these initiatives, we were able to reduce the water consumption in one of our residential colonies from 190 liters per capita per day in 1993 to 150 liters per capita per day in 2015
WATER RECHARGING
The Parekh Group is focused on recharging maximum rain water in to the ground since 2005. We have set up 48 Rain Water Harvesting Systems (RWHS) within our premises. Rain water is directed from roof tops through channels and then collected in a collection pit with filter. Through this, the water is recharged into the ground through bore holes. Every year we recharge 40,000 KLs of water.
WASTEWATER RE-USE
The textile industry is inherently water intensive and therefore waste water generation is considerably high. However, at the Parekh Group we have invested heavily into the best treatment technology to make waste water reusable & recyclable. As of today, the Group has 8 Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) of different capacities and 10 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) dedicated to making waste water reusable.
WATER RE-UTILIZATION (RECYCLING & REUSING) I.E. ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE
The Parekh Group has set up two Zero-liquid-discharge plants of capacity 400 KLD each. We use RO systems to clean and reuse our entire wastewater back into the manufacturing process. Apart, the treated water is also used for watering of Green belts. The gardening system is completely powered by treated waste water.
ENERGY
Energy conservation implies reducing energy consumption at the organisational level. Energy conservation differs from efficient energy use, which refers to using less energy for a constant service.
OPTIMISING ENERGY CONSUMPTION (OEC)
As a commitment of the Group towards OEC, the following steps have been adopted by the organisation
- Set up of a facility for monitoring & studying the energy consumption patterns and undertake energy demand management to make better equipment run-time decisions
- Provision for production monitoring & understanding energy consumption of equipments at the plant floor level
- Use of modeling equipments that consider energy as a process variable to optimize production and schedules
ENERGY CONSERVATION INITIATIVES
At the Group level, we have been adopting new technology that helps move towards a sustainable business model. We have also proactively installed machines, equipment and other electronic devices that are more energy efficient.
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
BIOGAS ENERGY
The Parekh Group has taken a big step towards minimising emission of greenhouse gases by using renewable resources like Biogas for bulk cooking purposes since 2010. The BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) developed the Nisarguna Technology to handle bio-sludge generated at ETPs & colony kitchen wastes for producing Biogas. The Parekh Group has installed 2 Biogas plants at Auro Textiles, Baddi & Parekh Fabrics, Budhni.
The organisation has been utilising Biogas at the colony kitchens for food preparation. The manure from Biogas plants are used for horticultural purposes within the premises
SOLAR ENERGY
We use renewable fuel consumption devices such as solar cookers/ heaters at multiple locations/units. We have parabolic solar cookers for cooking at our Madhya Pradesh regional units.
- Solar steam cooking is done in lesser time as compared to gas cooking
- Utilises non-conventional energy sources
- No running cost
- Saves on conventional fuel (LPG)
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
Sustainable products provide environmental, social and economic benefits, while protecting public health and environment over their life cycle i.e. from the extraction of raw materials up to the final disposal.
We at the Parekh Group have developed and promoted sustainable products across different businesses like
SEWING THREAD
- We have a special line for organic cotton range, the process of which is approved as per GOTS & Organic Exchange Standards by cotton union.
- A & E products manufactured at our facilities are certified for Oeko-Tex by TESTEX, Zurich.
- We manufacture organic thread for tea bags and eye brow threading
- As an ISO/TS 16949 certified unit, we encourage our suppliers to get ISO certified and adopt systems to reduce their wastage and to improve recycling
YARNS
1. Organic cotton yarns
- Grey yarn
- Melange yarn
- Dyed yarn
- Slub
- Blends
2. We use fair trade cotton
3. Approved by Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
FABRIC
1. Organic Cotton Fabric
2. Recycled Polyester fabric
3. Recycled Waste Cotton
HAZARDOUS WASTE HANDLING
We have been following EPA rules for hazardous waste handling since 2007. The Parekh Group has a provision to handle the solid waste generated from effluent treatment plants in the form of dry sludge.
We have sludge drying beds at various units, where the sludge is dried and packed in plastic bags and then transported to secure landfill sites. Through this process, solid waste gets treated to neutralise their hazardous or toxic elements, ultimately helping it form a part of an eco-friendly environment.
MAINTENANCE HEALTH AUDIT OF MACHINES
Maintenance Health Audit of machines is done regularly by our Group’s team of experts across all units. It includes audits of all machines in the plant by machine experts followed by quality checks to analyse the performance of the machine. If the machine does not meet the quality check parameters or consumes more energy than prescribed, remedial actions like replacement, study of machine, repair and workers training are undertaken.
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE CULTURE
At the Parekh Group we conduct regular training & awareness programs as an effort to imbibe the culture of sustainability within the organisation. For these programs, we engage our internal trainers & awareness experts. Goals are regularly set for the program and it targets all employees at all levels right from workers to managers.
The programs are conducted at our facilities like the Parekh Training & Development Center or Manav Vikas Kendras
Some of the training programs we conduct on regular basis are as follows:-
- Workshops on Water Conservation through videos
- Environment Week (Various activities are performed during this such as ; Tree Plantation, Drawing Competition, Slogan Competition, Speech Competition etc)
- Water Saving Week and other initiatives at unit level
- Celebration of World Water Day on every 22nd of March