How is the Packaging Industry Gearing up for a Sustainable Future?

In 2019, the global market value of sustainable packaging amounted to around 178.6 billion U.S. dollars and is projected to be a 246.3 billion U.S. dollar industry by 2025. With growing concerns around the impact of packaging on global warming and environmental degradation, the packaging sector is undergoing a sea change of innovation towards more sustainable alternatives.

Mr Mangalam Maloo, Associate Editor of CNBC-TV18, hosted Packaging Doctor on Moneycontrol.com, a round-table with the doyens of the packaging world. Powered by Cilicant, a market leader in active packaging products, the expert panel drew key insights from Mr Chakravarthi AVPS, Global Ambassador - World Packaging Organisation; Mr Soumyanath Mishra, Head of Packaging - Mankind Research Centre; Dr Sandeep Priyadarshi, General Manager (Technical) - Desai Agrifoods; Dr Suresh Chandra Singh, Technical and Operational Head - PathKits Healthcare and Mr Avinash Pandey, Director of Packaging - Moglix.

Here's a snapshot of the emerging trends in sustainable packaging.

Packaging Design Must be a Holistic Process

Mr Chakravarthi AVPS believes that newer generations of customers are eco-friendly in their lifestyle and seek similar values in the brands they patronise.
"Packaging decisions must never be taken in haste, just by seeing the competition. Sustainable packaging requires a systematic approach, a supply chain that guarantees environmental benefit - from the materials used and logistics efficiency to product preservation, better use of solutions, as well as the post-consumption infrastructure. We also need to have waste-management policies in place, as well as consumer education," observed Mr Chakravarthi AVPS.

eCommerce Fuelling the Shift from the "Use and Throw" Model

With the rise in eCommerce, the packaging industry is focused on transforming "use and throw" packaging into a circular economy model. With delivery expectations on the rise, there is a real threat of aggravating global carbon footprints. "However, today, we have B2C consumers tagging companies online about shifting to sustainable and returnable packaging, so it reduces household waste. We need to invest in more R&D, and I believe this will help us in optimising production and consumption," shared Mr Avinash Pandey. He also believes that cost will play a key factor in the adoption of sustainable packaging.

Diagnostics and Pharma Undergoing a Paradigm Shift

For the trillion-dollar diagnostics and pharma industries, the stakes are even higher when it comes to packaging. "We received a shipment from the U.S. where the ice in the coolant had melted, resulting in false positives. However, in the next shipment, the coolant was intact, and it was developed into the product. If the sensitivity and specificity are found to be between 95 to 100%, then it is a good diagnostic product. The integrity of the product and line of control is very important in this sector," emphasised Dr Suresh Chandra Singh.

The Future of Plastics

According to Mr Soumyanath Mishra, plastic is here to stay because paper packaging leads to large-scale consumption of trees. However, the future lies not in virgin plastic but in biodegradable, recyclable and compostable plastic.
"Biodegradable plastics break down naturally in the soil. However, compostable plastics, which are plant-based, require an industrial compostable environment. In the Indian context, every municipality will need to collect compostable plastic waste for the purpose of industrial composting," he explained.

Product Safety Must Remain a Top Priority

Mr Chakravarthi AVPS rounded up with some key insights. "No material is bad on its own. What's important is the right usage, disposal and recycling. When we talk about sustainable packaging, let's also not forget about safe packaging. There's a pressing need to avoid the risk of potential chemical contamination, whether it is for food, healthcare or diagnostics products. Industry, academia and government are all stakeholders, and we must work together, through cooperative and collaborative ways to ensure product safety, alongside the shift to sustainable packaging."

If you want to hear some more in-depth insights from the leaders of the packaging industry, you can watch the entire round-table discussion here.

Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of this article.