Bengaluru, 12th February 2025: Reinforcing its commitment to environmental stewardship and resource conservation through sustainable waste management and recycling practices, ITC Limited hosted Samaagam: ITC WOW Green Awards Event today at B R Ambedkar Auditorium, Bengaluru. The event was held to recognize and celebrate the exceptional contributions made by key stakeholder groups in the waste management value chain – Students, Educational Institutions, Dry Waste Collectors, Resident Welfare Organisations and Corporates in advancing the cause of the Clean India Mission or Swachh Bharat, through effective waste management practices throughout the year.
The award ceremony was graced by Chief Guest Shri PJ Anand, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, ITC Limited along with Guests of Honour Smt Aanchal Chomal, Associate Director, School of Continuing Education, Azim Premji University and Sri Basavaraj R Kabade, Chief General Manager & Chief Engineer, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, Government of Karnataka.
The highlight of the event was the Interschool Recycling Championship (ISRC), ITC WOW’s flagship programme designed to instil the habit of source segregation and responsible waste management among future citizens. Implemented across all major cities in southern India, the programme encourages students and schools to actively participate in waste management practices, thereby fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Speaking at the event, Mr. PJ Anand, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, ITC Limited. said, “I extend my heartfelt compliments to the competition winners of the ITC WOW Interschool Recycling Championship. The encouraging contribution of all the students towards the vision of a clean and green environment is indeed commendable. ITC WoW is proud to facilitate an enabling multi-stakeholder ecosystem, where civil society, including students, can contribute meaningfully to this common goal. It is heartening to see that our future generation is actively coming forward to manage and recycle waste and create widespread awareness on the subject.”
The 2024-25 edition of the Championship witnessed an overwhelming response with nearly 75000 students actively participating and collectively contributing approximately 500 metric tons of dry waste for recycling. The Championship also saw 2482 schools from across southern India take part, involving 9.31 lakh students in raising awareness about waste segregation. The programme brought together government and private schools from various boards, including ICSE, CBSE, and SSC, fostering a culture of sustainability among young changemakers.
The awards event witnessed a good turnout of around 1500 participants and featured cultural performances by students, showcasing their enthusiasm and creativity.
Beyond recognizing the winners, the event also served as a platform to strengthen the collaboration among various stakeholders, including the waste handler community, schools, and government, in promoting responsible waste management practices and driving the message of a cleaner, healthier India.
ITC’s flagship WOW programme is a collaborative model involving multiple stakeholders that is turning neighbourhoods into clean and healthy environments. Since its inception in 2007, ITC WOW has emerged as one of India’s largest awareness programmes on solid waste management. The initiative actively promotes source segregation, maximizes resource recovery and supports sustainable livelihoods for waste handlers. To date, ITC WOW has:
- Engaged 69 lakh households and 67 lakh students across six states in its mission for responsible waste management.
- Benefitted over 17,844 waste collectors and ragpickers.
- Recovered 65,000 metric tons of dry recyclable waste annually.
In Karnataka alone, the programme has covered over 21 lakh households across 180 wards, amplifying its impact on responsible waste management.
The initiative underscores ITC’s commitment to encouraging sustainable practices and fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment among the younger generation. It is aligned with the broader goal of advancing a circular economy. As a global sustainability leader, ITC has achieved the distinction of being the only company in the world to be solid waste recycling positive for 17 consecutive years and has been plastic neutral since FY2022. Adopting a circular approach and reducing its environmental footprint, ITC aims for 100 percent of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable/bio-degradable by 2028.