With approximately 70% of consumer packaging made from flexible plastics, the environmental challenge posed by post-consumer plastic waste, especially flexible plastics, is a significant concern. 

Multi-layered plastics (MLP) are the most popular type of flexible plastic packaging and are widely used to package food (snacks, beverages, ready-to-eat products), personal care (soap, shampoo), and home care products (detergents, hand wash). MLPs provide a cost-effective option for brands to package their products, and many different MLP compositions are placed on the Indian market.

Recycling MLP: the problem
The technical challenge with closed-loop MLP recycling lies in its complex structure of multiple layers of different polymers and materials. The lack of post-consumer markets for recyclates from these materials adds to the challenge, making them one of the least collected and recycled packaging formats in India. As a result, vast quantities of such packaging end up in landfills or leak into the environment as litter.

The CII-India Plastics Pact initiative: a platform for solutions
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), under its India Plastics Pact initiative, with support from WRAP and Stewart Investors, has provided a catalysing platform for Indian businesses to demonstrate scalable solutions for recyclable flexible packaging. The project targets flexible packaging in key FMCG categories such as food, personal care, and home care packaging. 

Three leading Indian businesses were selected to demonstrate solutions for recyclable flexible packaging. Each business is part of a consortium that consists of three stakeholders: an FMCG brand, a packaging converter, and a recycler. Collaboration among industry stakeholders through these projects will ensure that the new recyclable packaging structures that are introduced to the Indian market, are scaled by brands, and are recyclable in the Indian context – enabling a circular economy for this kind of packaging.

Selected consortia are led by Godrej Consumer Products, Huhtamaki India, and PepsiCo India.

Talking about the project, Seema Arora, deputy director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry said, “A key challenge for the FMCG industry in India is to create recyclable options for flexible plastic packaging. To support stakeholders' transition to more recyclable structures, CII through the India Plastics Pact initiative, has selected projects from three leading Indian businesses to trial and scale solutions for recyclable flexible packaging. We are glad to see stakeholders across the value chain take up this opportunity to make progress on achieving a circular plastics economy through innovation and collaborative action.

Dr Venkateswara Yadlapalli, head of R&D at Godrej Consumer Products said, “It is possible to rethink the way we design, use and reuse plastics to truly create a circular economy for plastic packaging. For us, innovation is rooted in sustainability. In partnership with CII, we are working on exploring recyclable flexible plastic packaging solutions that will work in practice, without the loss of economic value of existing infrastructure, and with far less plastic waste and pollution. As the demand for plastic packaging is set to double over the coming decades, we need to innovate now to find ways that plastic never becomes waste.”

Ashwinikumar Singh, head of innovation and product development at Huhtamaki India, said, “We have partnered with industry leaders and we thank CII for the catalysing platform they have provided which will enable us to advance our efforts in developing recyclable packaging solutions. At Huhtamaki, we are committed to transitioning from multilayer to monolayer packaging, a significant step toward enhancing sustainability. By working closely with our customers on market trials, we aim to drive the adoption of recyclable solutions across the industry. This partnership reinforces our shared vision of advancing circularity and promoting sustainable innovation.”

Yashika Singh, chief corporate affairs officer and sustainability head at PepsiCo India and South Asia, said, “At PepsiCo India, we believe in driving a positive change, and recyclable flexible packaging is an important step in our journey towards it. We are working to make every stage of our value chain more circular and tackle significant packaging challenges through innovation, re-design, policy advocacy, and infrastructure investment. Our guiding principle of 'Partnership of Progress' fosters innovation by collaborating with partners and communities to drive positive societal and environmental impact. We are delighted for the platform CII has provided through the India Plastics Pact initiative, to partner with ecosystem partners to develop, accelerate, and adopt recyclable packaging solutions to create a world where plastic never becomes waste.” 

Lorna Logan, portfolio manager at Stewart Investors, said, “The lack of recyclability of multi-layer, flexible plastic packaging presents a significant environmental challenge, which is especially pronounced in India given the frequent use of this material in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods sector. Stewart Investors has been a long-term supporter of WRAP and CII (through the India Plastics Pact initiative) and we are delighted to extend this partnership to explore alternative solutions for the non-recyclable flexible packaging.”

Collaborations: the key to unlocking a circular plastics economy
India faces a significant plastic waste problem, however, voluntary business initiatives such as CII’s India Plastics Pact show that sustainable change across the value chain is achievable. In collaboratively addressing issues such as the non-recyclability of multi-layered packaging, stakeholders across the value chain support the vision of the Pact to create a world where plastic is valued and doesn’t pollute the environment.

Nandini Kumar leads the activities on circular economy and the India Plastics Pact, whose secretariat is housed at the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Interested persons can get in touch: ippaction@cii.in