Against this backdrop, taking the initiative to minimise the use of plastic, Noida-headquartered Dharampal Satyapal Group organised a daylong seminar titled ‘Sustainable packaging: A way forward’ on 24 February 2020.

The event saw experts from the industry, manufacturers and policy-makers meaningfully engage on the subject of recycle and management of plastic waste. The event offered industry players to exchange best practices and share the work being done to address the issue, including plastic recycling and waste management options.

In his keynote address, Sanjay Bhatia of Hindustan Tin Works, highlighted how packaging as a concept has evolved and changed with the changing needs of society in subsequent generations, and the process is still on.

Speaking on the challenges of the management of plastic waste, Sunil Bhagwat, VP, HPPL stressed on the need to have a common central policy, instead of individual state policies. He also stressed on the need to clarify the definition of single-use plastic. He said that multilayer plastic is not single use plastic. He added that challenge in waste management occurs as the country has different regulator such as MoFF, BFS, FSSAI, NGT, among others.

Speaking on sustainable solutions to the plastic waste pollution, Jeevaraj Pillai, joint-president, packaging and new product development, Uflex, highlighted the company’s recycling effects and the technology it has employed to do so. “We are working hard to provide solutions for sustainable packaging to the world. There are three stakeholders for 360 degrees sustainable approach, the government, the industry and the consumer,” he said.

Shailesh Nema, vice-president and managing director, Michelman, spoke on water-based coating applications for sustainable Packaging. “India generates more than 1.5-lakh metric tonnes of solid waste every day. Only 20% of this collected waste is processed, while the remaining 80% is dumped into landfills,” he said.

Jayant Jain, associate professor, IIT, Delhi, discussed metallic material for sustainable packaging and said that stainless steel foil is one of the best solutions for sustainable packaging as it is 100% recyclable. However, there is no manufacturer of stainless steel foil at the moment. He also stressed on the 5 Rs of sustainable packaging — remove, reduce, reuse, recycle and recover

Ruturaj Kamthekar, director, product development, HPPL, discussed the sustainable packaging strategy adopted the company. He said that Huhtamaki’s sustainability agenda for flexible packaging includes three points — make packaging ready for the circular economy; focus on cost-competitive and value-added solutions, and engage and collaborate.

Speaking on value enhancement through sustainable packaging, Sanjeev Yadav, director, Jindal Poly Films said the company is coming up with one BOPEE and one CPP line by April 2020 and March 2020.

In the last presentation of the day, Ajay Kumar Nema of Constantia spoke on achieving sustainable packaging through recyclable mono-poly structuring. “Nature has been flexible with us and it’s time, we reciprocate,” he concluded.

A multi-diversified conglomerate with presence in high-growth sectors, DS Group was founded in 1929. Its product portfolio has evolved over the years with an undeterred pursuit for quality and innovation. It has a strong presence in FMCG sectors, such as mouth fresheners, tobacco, confectionary, dairy, salt, spices and beverages. The company also has interests in hospitality, packaging and agri business.