TRANSFORMING WASTE, ADVANCING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Goals 2025
3x increase in gainful utilisation of smelting process waste by 2025
Performance
- 100% fly ash usage
- 2x increase (over 6 lakh tonnes) of gainful utilisation of smelting process waste
As a leader in sustainable business practices, Hindustan Zinc has placed the circular economy at the forefront of its strategy. We continue to invest in cutting-edge technologies that reduce waste and promote recycling and reuse, forging a path towards a more sustainable and circular future.
Hindustan Zinc is deeply committed to advancing circularity and contributing to the broader circular economy through two key areas:
MINING FOR A CIRCULAR FUTURE
At Hindustan Zinc, we continuously refine our waste management practices, prioritising waste avoidance at the source, adopting best-in-class strategies to recycle as much waste as possible, and finding innovative ways to reuse materials wherever feasible.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Jarosite reduction of 39,682 MT through fumer operation
- Waste management through utilisation of 445,013 MT jarosite and jarofix in the cement industry, road & railways
- 2x times gainful utilisation of smelting process waste in cement & road construction areas
- Recycled input material in alliance with Runaya Green Tech Private Limited
- Developed an innovative process to recover iron from jarosite, converting it into Fe2O3 (Hematite)
Drivers of our Circular Economy Approach
- Promoting responsible material production while conserving natural resources
- Adopting advanced mining techniques to reduce waste and enhance resource recovery
- Optimising refining process for efficient zinc extraction and by-product utilisation
Partnership with Runaya Green Tech Private Limited: Driving Resource Optimisation
Background and Objective
Embarking on a circular path, Hindustan Zinc has partnered with Runaya Green Tech Private Limited to establish an Integrated Minor Metals Complex (IMMC) at Chanderiya, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and resource optimisation. The facility processes lead and zinc residues from Hindustan Zinc’s smelters, focusing on recovering valuable metals. Additionally, anchored in the ‘4R’ waste principles –Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, and Reclaim – the synergistic effort ensures resource efficiency by ecofriendly disposal of process residue.
Progress in FY2025
- We commissioned 3 new plants poised to unlock substantial growth in our processing capacity and recovery
- The partnership achieved a 75% increase in plant capacity which helped in recovering metals from various residues
- Runaya processed 33,064 MT of smelter waste, and provided recycled input material to Hindustan Zinc
INNOVATION IN TRANSFORMING WASTE INTO WEALTH
Strategic Partnerships to Synergise Innovation
- Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar and National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, to study the techno-economical viability of the in-house developed processes for extracting valuable metals and converting iron into hematite product from the jarosite/jarofix waste
- Geist Research Division (Goa) for the conversion of pure sodium sulphate salt in the zero liquid discharge plant
- Green RSK Infra-Pvt Ltd. for green capping of mine reclamation sites and jarofix yard using hydroseeding technology
- Navodaya Sciences for conversion of jarosite into the supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for use in various sustainable civil applications
- VEXL Environ Projects Pvt Ltd to extract lead and silver from jarosite through a 20 TPD pilot plant, which is expected to be commissioned in FY2026. The method also produces zinc-enriched calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertiliser, a useful byproduct
AMPLIFYING R&D AND INNOVATION
During the year, we have ramped up our R&D efforts by investing in skilled scientists and state-of-the-art technical facilities, with a focus on achieving zero waste by 2030 and eliminating the need for waste disposal in secure landfills (SLF). To this end, our Waste to Wealth Community plays a central role, continuously innovating, monitoring, and refining our waste utilisation practices.
Breakthrough Innovations to Unlock Value from Waste
Our R&D team has developed an innovative process to recover iron from jarosite, converting it into Fe2O3 (Hematite). This new process is being further validated at the bench scale, and we’re excited to explore the product’s market potential, expanding the range of materials that can be sustainably sourced from waste.
We also continue to develop innovative methods to recover zinc metal losses and reduce solid waste in effluent treatment plants (ETPs). These efforts are part of our broader strategy to minimise waste generation across all stages of the production process.
Fumer Plant Commissioning
The commissioning of the fumer plant in FY2024 represents a monumental step in reducing the smelter’s waste footprint by elimination of jarosite waste from one of our hydro zinc smelters. This not only alleviates the need for additional land resources but also supports our vision of creating a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.