The Indian Army is one of the pioneering organisations which have environmental protection in its core values. Till a few years back, many regiments of the Indian Army used to incinerate waste paper to protect the confidentiality of their documents. In 2009, Northern Command Vehicle Depot (NCVD) of the Indian Army located in Udhampur established, in collaboration with TARA Machines, the Dhruvtara recycling unit at its premises. The unit recycles the waste paper generated in its offices, residential complexes and canteen. The paper is transformed into customised recycled paper office stationary for its offices.

This initiative of NCVD and TARA Machines sparked the movement of paper recycling in the Indian Army. Within two years, this initiative has been replicated in 11 other army regimental centres, command head quarters and army schools.

The unique value of this initiative is that establishment of a paper recycling unit at the regiment’s premises has increased environmental awareness. It also provides new skills to jawans and local communities.

The paper recycling units at each of these army centres are manufacturing a variety of handcrafted recycled paper office stationary such as files, folders, letter heads, carry bags, notepads, etc. The products manufactured from these units are supplied to the offices of the army centres and are also put up for sale at the CSD canteens.

Army regiments have expressed their concern at the fast changing environmental conditions and unchecked environmental degradation due to excessive and deliberate deforestation. The driving force behind their pioneering initiative emphasises on the trinity of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Paper recycling is a pioneering exercise which brings together all stakeholders and communities for conservation of earth’s resources. q