IPMMI roadshow lays the foundation for PackMach Asia Expo

The panel discussion held at Chandigarh on 25 August revolved around packaging machines and their relevance in business growth. Taking this further, the roadshow and panel discussion in Delhi focused on circular economy in the packaging realm.

Anthony D’souza, president of IPMMI, said, “Manufacturers value the opportunity to explore innovative solutions and technologies that can enhance their operations. The PackMach show's unique aspect of attracting a diverse audience and facilitating the exchange of ideas between different verticals within the packaging industry has been particularly appealing.”

In his keynote address, Tanveer Alam, director at the Indian Institute of Packaging, shared the findings of a study. It stated that 10-15% of municipal waste accounts for packaging waste, among them, half comprises plastic. Also, only 50% of paper waste is recovered. This must be addressed to up the quotient to 70-80%.

Alam said that the ministry is working on converting waste into value-addition products, considering the guidelines including EPR. And, recycling provides an opportunity for sustaining and sourcing. To address this, the session will discuss how to contribute to making plastic recycling a responsibility, with a focus on material development and sustainability. This is possible as a collaborative effort.

The panel comprised Ainain Shahidi, director, 4 Sixes Packaging and Marketing; Tanveer Alam, director, Indian Institute of Packaging; Naresh Raghav, vice-president, manufacturing and operations, Radico Khaitan; Ashok Kumar Tyagi, executive director, Haldiram Snacks; Tamal Ghosh, head, new product development and packaging development, JK Paper ( JK Dairy and JK Snacks); Nayandeep Banerjee, head, packaging development, Britannia Industries; Pradeep Chauhan, SCM, packaging, Del Monte; and Shivraj Choudhary, vice-president, Bikaji Foods International.

Packaging design is the starting point of the circular economy. Here, we finalise the material selection and how it will be circular in the market, from a shelf-life and sustainability perspective. It is crucial to address how, what, and where. Also, the design must be simple to avoid colour mismatch issues in future.

There is a need to educate end consumers about the right disposal of packaging after consumption. And, the packaging must comprise modular components for ease of usage.One must design packaging based on machine requirements, and in collaboration with the supplier and the machine supplier to address wastage issues. All stakeholders must collectively focus on this.

Fibre-based packaging in India must focus on end functionality to notch to the European market, which contributes 80% to it. There must be a replacement for plastic laminate without affecting the protective feature of the packaging. The paper-based packaging must have barrier properties, including better tear resistance, water resistance, and coating with heat-sealing properties. This must be compatible with the machine, and must be sustained till the end of the supply chain. This is feasible with thorough knowledge of material science and R&D activity.

Now, we are in a transition from a linear economy to the circular economy. One issue in this is that segregation of packaging waste is improper, and ends at landfills with higher wastage. We need to close the circular path with technological intervention. 

Coke, Pepsi and Danone aim to notch 100% recycled packaging in the next three to five years. And the upcoming show will assess these problems and discuss the way ahead.

PackMach Asia Expo 2023 will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 4 to 6 October. It is jointly organised by IPMMI and Messe Muenchen India, and supported by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). Also, the event is scheduled in concurrence with Drink Technology India and World Tea and Coffee Expo.

The current edition, with over 15,000-sqm exhibition space, will have more than 200 exhibitors and display around 3,000 products. It will also offer a buyer-seller forum to boost the export promotion capabilities; and uplift the micro industry segment of packaging.