HOW MANUFACTURERS ARE PAVING THE PATH FOR A CIRCULAR FUTURE WITH SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

PARTHA DASH WRITES WHY ECO-FRIENDLY SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IS INDISPENSABLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PLANET.

- PARTHA DASH

INDIA GENERATES 3.5 MILLION TONNES OF plastic waste each year, as per data available from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Moreover, India's per capita plastic waste generation has nearly doubled in the last five years. Besides adversely affecting the ecosystems, plastic pollution is linked to air pollution.

Against this backdrop, sustainable packaging could play a significant role in curbing India's carbon footprint as plastics comprise one-third of the carbon emissions in core manufacturing segments such as mining, metals and construction materials. The next highest contributors in this regard are energy, agriculture and related activities, logistics and HVAC, followed by other verticals.

ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

As the consequences of climate change worsen with record heat and cold waves, wildfires, flash floods and more, the impact of global warming across all geographies remains unmistakable. To mitigate the ravages of global warming, corporates across countries and continents are shifting to sustainable business practices that support a circular economy and advance efforts to curb climate change.

In such a scenario, the circular economy is critical since it emphasises the reuse of products. If goods cannot be reused, they are recycled through chemical, mechanical, or biological processes such as composting. Sustainable packaging solutions integrate seamlessly with sustainability initiatives by embedding circular economy principles. In India, manufacturing firms are also adapting to sustainable packaging solutions.