Packaging Prospects: Driving Changes to Multiply Growth
India is one of the key growth drivers in the compostability space. Is awareness increasing among consumers about eco-friendly alternatives to plastic? Certainly. Is it enough? Not even close!
It was in the year 1907 that the world’s first fully synthetic plastic came into being. Certainly, it was a wonderful substance. It completely defined the space of materials in packaging, and nobody had known a material to be so sturdy, yet flexible as well as cost-effective. As expected, in the second half of the 20th century, it became common knowledge that plastic does not degrade. Every spec of plastic ever created is present and will be around for many more hundreds of years.
Fast forward to today. 31 percent of all the plastic waste – almost one-third – is due to packaging. This means that nearly 120 million tons of plastic in packaging is generated annually, which is fast converting to waste, but not really degrading. We need alternatives, and we need them now.
What’s the solution? Well, as a solution we continue to look for alternatives, but the ultimate solution is circularity. What is circular economy? In a linear economy, we create products from materials present in the Earth and waste is created. In a circular economy, we stop making waste altogether.
This is the ideology that is loosely tied to circular economy. If we do not produce waste, we will always have resources left for the future. In this case, we’re talking about the resources that we get from Mother Earth. Thus, there is constant need from humanity to preserve resources, by reducing carbon emission, or what we would commonly say ‘keeping a check on carbon footprint’.
Plastic waste is indeed a significant contributor to pollution. There’s conversation about sustainability, and manufacturers, policy makers as well as consumers understand that plastic needs alternatives. So, what other materials do we have at our discretion?
There are 3 broad types of materials that we can consider when talking of packaging at large. First, materials that contain single-use plastic. Thanks to the Government’s decision to ban single-use plastic, there is some respite. However, this is only the start of the road, and the destination is miles ahead. Second, recyclable materials. There’s a lot of talk around recycling, but does recycling follow circularity? Sadly, it doesn’t. The third is biowaste materials. You make products out of agricultural waste, and let it go back into the Earth. This is the ultimate end of life solution, and we are swiftly moving toward compostability.
To achieve success in our endeavor of environmental protection, we need to consider the complete chain of life of compostable materials and understand where the efforts are required. Of course, the science of creating products out of agricultural residue is one of the most talked about part of the process, and we’re making steady progress in this regard. We’ve seen success with various materials like bagasse, bamboo, hemp, cork, wheat straw…and so on. Various organizations are also working on making products for different purposes, and materials such as biopolymers are being explored. However, there are multiple other areas in which improvement is needed.
All major companies in the packaging industry, including Yash Pakka, have had a fair share of difficulties overcoming all the issues. Compostable flexible packaging is one of the most sought-after developments in this space lately, and it’s clear that the process of getting the product in the hands of the consumer is a tedious one. Likewise, we had multiple hindrances when we started developing the delivery containers from Chuk. From conceptualization to commercialization, the process has been a long one. The industry is nascent, and we can look forward to a more collaborative approach and work towards a cleaner planet in the times to come.
In view of working together towards a singular goal, I truly appreciate the efforts of CII over the years. This is a wonderful platform to bring forward the best eco-friendly solutions, and CII has always presented us with exciting opportunities to make a big impact. Another organization that is working towards getting together various entities in compostable space is GCA. The platform gcahub invites conversations about everything, right from innovations to investments, and is the right platform for knowledge sharing and community building.
Lastly, and extremely important, immediate intervention is required from the Government. While the ban on single-use plastic is a welcome step, it is only the starting point of a long journey.