At the 9th Specialty Films and Flexible Packaging Conference Chetan Jain, an executive director for Taurus Packaging, released a book named “5 Myths about Sustainable Shrink Sleeves.”
Chetan Jain is an industry mentor and expert in Shrink Sleeves subject. Labels Flexibles and More asked him about his latest book.
Please tell us about your experience in the flexible packaging industry?
I am an executive director for Taurus Packaging. We are one of the leading experts in shrink sleeves packaging. Since 2008, when I joined the business as a second-generation entrepreneur, Shrink Sleeves had been my core subject. I spent much time understanding shrink sleeves and their global trends. I have learned a lot from this industry. In 2019 I wrote my first book and shared my learning experience of shrink sleeves with the industry. It focused on FMCG SME companies. Now, this is my second book, where I focus on the sustainability of Shrink Sleeves.
What is the prime purpose of this book?
We have heard about sustainability en-number times, but no one is talking about sustainability for shrink sleeves. Though few brands have taken steps towards recycling shrink sleeves, but those are baby steps. There are many misconceptions because everyone has their definition of recycling shrinks sleeves; whether it’s a brand, converter, or film manufacturer, everyone has their own term. So the purpose of this book is to collate all the information and make a helpful guide for any packaging professional, students, packaging employees, brand owners, CEO, and other professionals.
What has motivated you to write this book?
Taurus Packaging is one of the leading manufacturers of shrink sleeves. We are the only company in India to follow the HIP guidelines for shrink sleeves which has multiple advantages across the industry. We are also leading the industry innovation and are growing exponentially. Our key focus is to solve the industry’s problems with technological advancement. Before integrating technology up gradation, we analyse and understand whether the innovation solves the industry’s crisis. It is not about increasing the capacity or cost saving, but it’s all about how we solve the customer’s challenge. That is the reason why our customer gives us so much respect and love and emphasize me to write this book.
Does the book address and resolve the major concern about recycling and sustainability of flexible packaging?
Please note that, through this book, I am not trying to solve any problem; I am very clear about it. It is very premature to say that I have found a solution, but I want to bring all vital information about recycling and sustainability to one platform so that people can understand the conceptual flaws.
What are the Key Take-away from the book?
There are three take away from this book.
- How you can easily move from PVC to PET-G
- Sustainable shrink sleeves trends
- How shrink sleeves affect the recyclability of a container.
The third take-away addresses the industry on the correct application of shrink sleeves. When we talk about recycling flexible packaging films and shrink sleeves, which is primarily applied to rigid packaging like plastic containers, it usually affects those rigid packaging in recycling because they are not from the same family structure and cannot be recycled together. And even if we recycle it together, the inks on shrink sleeves will degrade plastic quality. There is a point here to make how we can make Shrink sleeves more sustainable.
When was this book released?
I first released the book on the 27th of August on the e-commerce platform i.e. Amazon and Flipkart, and with this Specialty Films and Flexible Packaging Conference platform, I am sharing the book with all the delegates. My contact details are in the book, so people who want to share any information or give feedback can write to me or contact me on LinkedIn, or they can send me a mail to my email ID and tell me about the book and their feedback.
Since you are very well-known and a mentor to the industry, how can you help the industry move forward to a sustainable future?
I wrote this book out of my passion, so I want to spread awareness about shrink sleeves. Everyone is welcome to meet me, whether a converter, brand owner, packaging professional, or student. I am available to guide them.
