ConduentCares, India: Sustainability efforts for our environment and communities
Global Recycling Day is March 18th. It's a day that raises awareness about the importance of recycling and encourages people to take action to reduce waste and preserve our planet's resources. With approximately 60,000 team members across 25 countries, Conduent is committed to environmental and social responsibility initiatives because my colleagues and I know that helping to protect our planet impacts us all. As a tech-led company, our environmental initiatives focus on several key areas such as recycling and responsibly disposing of e-waste, as well as investing in clean technology in our communities. With those two focus areas in mind, I wanted to highlight some initiatives our ConduentCares team in India has recently completed. I am so proud of all our team members who helped find, organize and implement these programs.
E-waste recycling and disposal
To reduce the impact of e-waste on our planet, Conduent has adopted sustainable practices, strategically partnering with take-back programs that can ensure proper disposal and recycling of electronic devices. Throughout 2022, our team in India worked with Croma E-Care, located in Hyderabad and Vizag. For this program, the team made recycling e-waste as easy as possible for our colleagues –– scheduling pickups right at Conduent’s offices. Here, employees were able to bring in any unwanted or malfunctioning non-Conduent electronics nearing the end of their lifecycle and Croma would take them for recycling. The best part? For every piece of e-waste turned over to Croma, a tree is planted to help reforestation efforts in Rajasthan, India –– benefiting several endangered species of plants and animals.
This effort is important because when not properly disposed of, electronic devices can release toxic materials that can harm the environment or pose risk to human health. Additionally, e-waste represents a significant waste of valuable resources. Precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper found in most electronics can be recycled and reused. However, most e-waste is not properly disposed of or recycled, leading to the loss of these valuable resources.
If you’re interested in helping reduce e-waste, there are simple, sustainable habits you can adopt. These include donating or selling old devices that still work, repairing broken devices instead of replacing them, and properly disposing of electronic devices at designated recycling centers in your area, similar to Croma.
Water reuse and purification
When you think about recycling, water probably doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But, water reuse (or water recycling / reclamation) reclaims water from a given source, then treats or purifies it for beneficial purposes such as agriculture and irrigation, potable municipal water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes, and environmental restoration. Water reuse can provide alternatives to existing water supplies and be used to enhance water security, sustainability, and resilience.
For this initiative, our ConduentCares team in India partnered with Telangana government schools to install Alkaline water purifiers that will provide over 500 students in primary and secondary schools with clean drinking water. This system uses clay-built, bio-soil water purifiers to ensure that water collected from nearby sources is properly treated and cleaned, removing any potential toxins so children can stay hydrated and healthy. After this pilot program rollout, our team plans to expand to more schools in other cities such as Kochi and Vizag.
Overall, Global Recycling Day is a crucial event that reminds us of the importance of sustainable waste management. We can all take small but significant steps to reduce our environmental impact. Simple actions such as separating recyclables from non-recyclables, using reusable bags, bottles, and containers, and buying products made from recycled materials can make a difference. Meanwhile, join me in showing appreciation to the ConduentCares team in India, along with all the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to keep our planet healthy. I encourage everyone to take action to reduce their environmental impact. By recycling, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future and protect our planet's resources.