Tata Steel puts sustainability centre stage with ‘Recycle of Life’
PINAKI MAJUMDAR Jamshedpur, Sept 16: Tata Steel has launched the second phase of its corporate brand campaign, #WeAlsoMakeTomorrow, with , a film…
PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 16: Tata Steel has launched the second phase of its corporate brand campaign, #WeAlsoMakeTomorrow, with , a film celebrating the infinite recyclability of steel and the company’s vision of a more sustainable future.
Launched on Wednesday, the campaign marks a shift from the first phase, introduced in 2018 and centred on technology and innovation, to a narrative that places sustainability at the heart of Tata Steel’s future-focused journey.
Created in collaboration with acclaimed British animator Martyn Pick and creative agency VML, Recycle of Life uses children, origami-inspired transformations and an evolving visual landscape to convey the ideas of renewal and circularity.
A sheet of steel-textured paper repeatedly changes form in the hands of children, symbolising how steel can be recycled and repurposed without losing its essential properties.
The film combines live action, CGI and painted environments. Pick developed a bespoke “Painting into Pixels” technique to give the visuals a distinctive textured appearance while portraying the transformation of materials and the creative energy of children, who represent future generations.
“Capturing the children’s sense of wonder was central to the film, as they represent the spirit of tomorrow,” Pick said, adding that the visual treatment was designed to reflect Tata Steel’s focus on balancing progress, people and the planet.
Music draws parallel with steel recycling
Music forms another key element of the campaign. Recycle Raga, an original composition by musician Dhruv Ghanekar, features renowned Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan.
The composition draws a parallel between the recycling of steel and the reinterpretation of the seven notes of the Indian classical raga system.
As the musical scale progresses, the notes are rearranged, reset and “reborn”, eventually returning to where they began.
Aligned with Tata Group’s sustainability initiative
The campaign is aligned with the Tata Group’s Aalingana sustainability initiative. Tata Steel has set a target of achieving Net Zero by 2045 and is pursuing a range of measures across its operations and geographies.
In India, the company is advancing scrap-based steelmaking through electric arc furnaces, including its facility in Punjab and two upcoming plants in western and southern India.
In Europe, Tata Steel is pursuing low-carbon steelmaking through a 3.2 million-tonne-per-annum electric arc furnace at Port Talbot and the Green Steel Plan in the Netherlands.
The company aims to produce 10–15 million tonnes of steel annually through the recycling route within the next 10–15 years.
Tata Steel is also piloting technologies such as HIsarna and EASyMelt at existing blast furnace sites while increasing the use of alternative fuels, renewable energy and scrap.
As part of its circular economy efforts, the company is also working to transform around 15 million tonnes per annum of industrial by-products into valuable resources.
With Recycle of Life, Tata Steel is seeking to broaden the #WeAlsoMakeTomorrow narrative from innovation to sustainability, highlighting the role of responsible materials, manufacturing and recycling in shaping a more sustainable future.
