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Aditya Birla (The Aditya Birla Group owner of Grasim Industries and Birla Cellulose)

Products: VSF / Rayon, Lyocell, VFY

Risk Status
Low Risk
Next Gen Solutions
Next Gen
Chemical Management (out of 8)
6
Hot Button Score (out of 40)
33 =
中文

Risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests

Low Risk

Birla has worked consistently to reduce risk in its supply chain, and currently has low risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests.

The company owns a mill near Ancient and Endangered Forests in Canada’s Boreal. This mill is currently producing pulp for non-apparel uses. Birla and Canopy have actively explored conservation solutions that seek to conserve 70% of these Ancient and Endangered Forests. Space was maintained through procurement decisions to advance this work in 2023, and in 2024 the mill closed and therefore ceased all wood sourcing. Until permanent conservation solutions are developed with the engagement and support of provincial and First Nation decision-makers, the future for Ancient and Endangered Forests in this region remains uncertain.

Areas where the company is showing leadership

  • Has increased its procurement of FSC-certified fibre in 2024.
  • Reduced sourcing from a supplier that wouldn’t pursue a verification Audit.
  • Is actively working on co-management opportunities with First Nations in its New Brunswick, Canada fibre basket.
  • Has traceability systems in place to allow customers to track from MMCF fibre to garment.
  • Has called on signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to develop the regulatory mechanisms necessary to ensure that the Convention’s goals for nature protection are prioritized.
  • Provided support for local conservation initiatives in New Brunswick and Ontario, Canada.
  • Continued to advance senior-level commitment to landscape-level conservation in Ancient and Endangered Forests in Canada’s Boreal.
  • Continues to invest deeply in R&D in Next Gen Solutions, and continues to conduct lab and pilot-scale trials with a wide variety of feedstocks.
  • Now offers a lyocell product that contains Next Gen Fibre Solutions.
  • Continues to increase manufacture of products with Next Gen, in order to reach its goal of producing 100,000 tonnes.  
  • Birla contributed to a sign-on letter calling for governments to support enabling conditions for the scale up of Next Generation Solutions.  

Key Improvements Required

  • Continue to show leadership among global viscose producers by supporting science-based conservation solutions, and upholding the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous communities in Ancient and Endangered Forests within the company’s direct influence.
  • Continue to invest in research and development efforts to develop and significantly scale the use of Next Generation Solutions in order to reduce impacts on forests.
  • Continue to proactively use ForestMapper and complementary guidance to avoid sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests.
  • Continue to procure higher volumes of FSC 100% or FSC Mix certified inputs. 

Facilities

Birla produces a lyocell fibre with 30% pre- and post-consumer recycled cotton, as well as viscose staple fibre with 30% pre- and post-consumer recycled cotton, both under the brand Liva Reviva.

Birla currently produces an MMCF fibre made out of bamboo, which is not assessed in detail in the CanopyStyle Audit. 

The company owns eight viscose mills and four dissolving pulp mills. In addition, it owns a pulp mill, currently not feeding into the MMCF supply chain, in Canada’s Boreal Forest, that is influential in determining conservation options in Ancient and Endangered Forests and FSC certification in the region.  That mill is currently closed.

  • AV Cell, Atholville, New Brunswick, Canada: dissolving pulp, 130,000 tonnes
  • AV Nackawic, Nackawic, New Brunswick, Canada: dissolving pulp, 190,000 tonnes
  • Domsjo Fabriker AB, Örnsköldsvik, Västernorrland, Sweden: dissolving pulp, 255,000 tonnes
  • Harihar Polyfibers, Harihar, Karnataka, India: dissolving pulp, 74,000 tonnes

Total dissolving pulp production: 649,000 tonnes 

  • Grasim Industries Ltd., Nagda, Madhya Pradesh, India: viscose staple fibre, 156,000 tonnes
  • Grasim Industries Ltd., Harihar, Karnataka, India: viscose staple fibre, 95,000 tonnes
  • Birla Cellulosic, Grasim Industries Ltd., Kharach, Gujarat, India: viscose staple fibre, 176,000 tonnes
  • Grasim Cellulosic Division, Grasim Industries Ltd., Vilayat Taluka Vagra, Gujarat, India: viscose staple fibre, 398,000 tonnes
  • Birla Jingwei Fibres Co. Ltd., Xiangfan City, Hubei, China: viscose staple fibre, 88,000 tonnes
  • Thai Rayon Public Co. Ltd., Amphur Muang, Angthong, Thailand: viscose staple fibre, 140,000 tonnes
  • PT Indo Bharat Rayon, Purwakarta, West Java, Indonesia: viscose staple fibre, 212,000 tonnes
  • India Rayon, Veraval, Gujarat, India:  viscose filament yarn, 22,000 tonnes

Total viscose staple fibre production: 1,265,000 tonnes 

  • AV Terrace Bay, Terrace Bay, Ontario, Canada: kraft pulp, 340,000 tonnes, currently closed.

Aditya Birla have all of their VSF facilities registered on the ZDHC platform. Three facilities have been assessed at the progressive level in all or some of the three criteria related to chemical management: chemical recovery, wastewater discharge and air emissions. These facilities are located in India (Vagra, Gujarat), China and Thailand.

POLICYAUDIT REPORTLIST OF SUPPLIERS

More information

Hot Button Score

33 =

  1. Completion of CanopyStyle Third-Party Verification Audits

    1. Conducts Audits 2/2
    2. Audits published and results acted on2/2
    3. Audit risk results1.5/2

  2. Contribution to Conservation Legacies

    1. Promotes Ancient and Endangered Forest conservation2/2
    2. Supports conservation targets 1/1
    3. Influences supply chain and decision makers0.5/2
    4. Contributes to legislated protection1/2
    5. Extra responsibility: additional support for conservation0.5/2

  3. Innovation via New Alternative Fibres

    1. Advocates for Next Gen 1/1
    2. Invests in R&D1/1
    3. Has a commercial-scale product 2/2
    4. Publishes targets and timelines2/2
    5. Uses Next Gen pulp0.5/1
    6. Proportional contribution2/2
    7. Implementing ambitious scale-up0.5/2

  4. Adoption of Robust Forest Sourcing Policy

    1. Has a policy2/2
    2. Policy aligns with CanopyStyle2/2

  5. Traceability & Transparency

    1. Has track and trace systems1/1
    2. Publishes list of suppliers2/2
    3. Conducts due diligence in sourcing2/2

  6. Leaders in Supply Chain Shifts

    1. Is responsive and proactive0.5/1
    2. Acts on FSC preference 1/1
    3. Supports ForestMapper1/1
    4. Addresses risk2/2

  7. Associated with High Risk of Sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests and other Controversial Sources

    1. High risk sourcing0/-5

More information

Sustainable Chemical Management

6

  1. Participation in ZDHC

    The company is an active participant in ZDHC, where all of their viscose staple fibre and modal staple fibre facilities have joined the ZDHC Supplier Platform and have access to the MMCF Module.2/2

  2. Chemical Recovery

    All of the company’s MMCF viscose staple fibre and modal staple fibre facilities have reached at least the Progressive level in their chemical recovery parameters and limit value, according to Chapter 1: ZDHC MMCF Responsible Fibre Production Guidelines V2.21/2

  3. Wastewater

    All of the company’s MMCF viscose staple fibre and modal staple fibre facilities have reached at least the Progressive level in their wastewater discharge parameters and limit values, according to Chapter 2: ZDHC MMCF Wastewater Guidelines V2.21.5/2

  4. Air Emissions

    All of the company’s viscose staple fibre and modal staple fibre facilities have reached at least the Progressive level in their hazardous chemicals’ air emissions parameters and limit values, according to Chapter 3: ZDHC MMCF Air Emissions Guidelines V2.21.5/2

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