At the Elite Plus Speciality Films and Flexible Packaging Conference, Ashok Chaturvedi from Uflex guided the industry towards a sustainable future through his keynotes. During the interview with Labels Flexible and More, he laid more stress on the collection of plastics.
Collection of Plastic Waste– A Major Concern
“The Indian packaging industry is doing good. However, it can do it better. The focus should be on sustainable products, as it is the call of the planet.”
“Currently, the only challenge is the collection of plastic. We should focus on the collection of plastic rather than recycling. The multilayer plastics recycling is not an issue, but the collection is an issue. The collection of plastic waste needs to be done by the government.”
“The recycling plant requires a raw material which needs to be collected by the government. When the consumer is consuming any product which is packed in plastic, waste plastic is generated (it is not produced), and we have to collect that waste for recycling. The collection mechanism lies with the government, not with the brand nor with the consumer. The legal right to collect the garbage lies with the government. If the government collects and segregates the waste and passes it to the recycler, later the process is simpler.”
The Public-Private partnerships model for Swachh Bharat Mission
“The government should encourage public and private bodies to collect waste with PP model. The waste collection model should be shorter, or they can come up with some model for waste collection.
The technology is well placed for recycling and can be done with zero carbon emissions. The monolayer plastic is a myth; it is not the solution; the monolayer plastic also needs to be collected. Monolayer plastic is not a cost-efficient solution; moreover, the brand also has to sacrifice the barrier properties. All flexible packaging material is recyclable.”
Introduction of recyclable and biodegradable plastic
“Some waste plastics are not easier to collect, like the waste thrown into the sea and in the jungle. If the government takes a historic step in making all the multilayer plastic recyclable and biodegradable, then the issue will be resolved forever, and India will be marked in history. India will be the first country to set an example by introducing recyclable and biodegradable plastic, and the world will follow us. If the government is unable to collect waste, then there is an option to introduce biodegradable plastic. Biodegradation should be at ambient temperature.”
