AVI Global Plast is in the news. This is because the Daman-based film manufacturer major has developed clamshells, trays and airtight PET hinged containers for the food and fresh produce industry. This is because of incorporating 100% recycled content, which is both verified and traceable, and introducing value-added functionality to existing packaging designs as seen in the marketplace.

As Sukhdeep Sethi, the company spokesperson, told WhatPackaging? magazine, “For the food industry, AVI has introduced tamper-evident clamshells for enhancing food safety and hygiene to brands and consumers alike. These have been designed to feature an inward, airtight closure mechanism, inhibiting tampering while helping products retain freshness and offering leak-proof convenience.”

AVI’s tamper-evident clamshells include an in-built tamper-evident lock that remains embedded in the container once opened, alerting consumers to any unauthorised access and eliminating the need for additional tear-off or wrap-around labels.

Today, AVI provides a range of solutions, from mono and high-barrier rigid PET films for printing, window boxes, thermoforming and card applications, to finished packaging for food, fresh produce, FMCG, and personal care through catalogue offerings or custom services.

Abhay Avadhani (AA): What is the market segment you cater to? What are the applications?
Sukhdeep Sethi (SS): The focused market areas are fresh produce and food packaging, with punnets and clamshells designed to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables like blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, grapes, salads, sprouts and cut fruits. AVI’s airtight containers and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) trays preserve the freshness and taste of bakery items, snacks, desserts, Indian sweets and more (applications) for enhanced consumer experiences.

AA: What is AVI Global Plast’s sustainable strategy for India?
SS: Our strategy involves maximising the efficiency of our production equipment and processes to achieve energy and resource savings. This includes designing optimal packaging sizes, minimising wastage, and utilising solar panels and systems to optimise energy consumption in our factory.

 
Punnets and clamshells for superior airflow and shelf life                                  Tamper-evident clamshells for quality and safety assurance

AA: Which sustainable metrics should brands consider and follow to increase sales and market share when they look at packaging?
SS: Brands should prioritise packaging design from a lifecycle perspective. Through this lens, aspects like raw material reductions, higher percentages of recycled content, and overall emissions relating to package manufacturing and logistics should be considered. I feel brands that are more transparent and instructive about their sustainability credentials will attract higher consumer loyalty and market share.
Assessing the greenhouse gas emissions and energy utilisation throughout the packaging lifecycle - from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to disposal is essential. Brands should aim to minimise CO2 emissions and energy consumption by opting for packaging solutions with lower environmental footprints.

AA: What are the roles of design on the road to sustainable development?
SS: Design plays a crucial role in the pathway towards sustainable development. Take, for instance, the “design for recyclability” approach where packaging formats are conceptualised keeping their end-of-life recyclability in mind, right from the start. Designs should focus on minimising virgin material usage, enabling easy separability of components like labels, using transparent materials for easy sorting in recycling streams and  maximising the incorporation of certified recycled content.

AA: What are some policy tweaks that could significantly benefit our industry and bolster the Swachh Bharat Mission's (SBM-II) goals?
SS: More stringent standards for waste- management, recycling, and inclusion of recycled contentand recycled content inclusion.  

AA: Reuse and recycling are the two ways of minimising plastic waste. What are the sustainability targets AVI Global Plast has set in this regard?
SS: We are committed to increasing the recycled content in our packaging offerings. In FY 21-22, our efforts supported the recycling of approximately 137-million PET bottles. By FY 22-23, this figure rose to approximately 218-million PET bottles, marking an approximately 59% increase. As members of the India Plastics Pact (IPP), we actively participate in Collaborative Action Group 4 (CAG 4), dedicated to promoting the use of recycled content in plastic packaging.

AA: How do you do it?
SS: One of the IPP targets is to ensure that an average of 25% recycled content is incorporated into plastic packaging. Through our involvement in CAG 4, we contribute to developing guidelines for utilising recycled content in various types of packaging, including food and non-food contact packaging, aligning with IPP targets. In addition to increasing recycled content, we are working on designing packaging solutions with a higher degree of reusability.

AA: How do you ensure your products meet the required standards in different target markets?
SS: We ensure that all recycled  offerings are certified to globally recognised certifications and standards, including Intertek, ISCC PLUS, USFDA and EFSA. Our manufacturing facilities are equipped with quality, safety and environment management systems certified to standards such as ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018 ISO 22000, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 14001:2015, and BRC, Sedex, supported by SOPs, sampling/testing protocols, and quality checkpoints. We have validation of food-grade contact  safety requirements properties as per EFSA and US FDA norms, whenever applicable.

        
Custom thermoforming solutions for FMCG, electronics and healthcare                                    PET airtight containers for freshness and sustainability 

AA: Your view about the packaging sector in India?
SS: The packaging industry in India is going through a transformative phase, so I would say it is certainly not business as usual anymore. While growth opportunities continue to exist, driven by factors like rising income levels, consumer demand and exports, there have been significant changes that have disrupted conventional ways of operating.
One of the biggest changes has been the increasing focus on sustainability and the environmental impact of packaging materials like plastics. Consumers, brands and regulators are all pushing for eco-friendly packaging solutions that minimise waste and are recyclable or reusable.

AA: Plans for 2024?
SS: We will broaden our network of waste collection partners, reaching new communities and regions across India. The focus remains on designing packaging solutions while keeping recycled content, recyclability and reusability in mind. In 2024, we will continue to integrate sustainable design principles into our product development processes.

For instance, we have begun the new year by designing a fully-recyclable PET tray packing alternative for the meat and poultry industry. This tray eliminates the need for absorbent pads (traditionally used for absorbing meat juices/liquids to extend shelf-life). In our trays, these juices will be contained in cavities designed within the tray bottom. This will help in preventing millions of absorbent pads from being landfilled.