Birla Cellulose has completed a life cycle assessment (LCA) of products in its portfolio. The LCA exercise has assessed the environmental footprint and its effects on human and animal health and the environment, such as ozone layer depletion, mineral use and use of nitrogen and phosphates.

A member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Birla Cellulose uses the Higg Index Tool to monitor manufacturing units’ performance on environment and social scales. The index monitors energy and water consumption, reduction in effluent discharge and transport distance. For all 11 of Birla Cellulose’s manufacturing units, Higg scores have been completed along with a benchmark analysis.

Birla Cellulose works with global brands to drive initiatives to trace the source of raw materials and help them trace their complicated supply chains in India. From Forest to Fashion is the first supply chain mapping project of its kind in the apparel industry. It has provided clarity on value chain sourcing from India and improved transparency of different players involved in the supply chain of some major brands. The next step will be to digitise the entire process. Birla Cellulose is now focusing on projects within the supply chain to reduce resource use, especially water and chemicals, in different stages of the Forest to Fashion process.