IPPTA seminar in Mysuru looks at sustainability

IPPTA brings stakeholders together to promote use of paper in the packaging sector. It has organised a two-day seminar to address the call to sustainability.

According to IPPTA, the annual turnover of the paper industry is expected to scale Rs 80,000-crore. And, the total paper production is estimated at over 205 million tonnes per annum.

A panel discussion was held, moderated by Pankaj Shah of Mehta Paper Industries. He laid the ground for further discussion on paper as a substitute for plastic in food packaging.

Followed by, technical sessions were organised to consider the barrier properties of paper over sustainable plastic alternatives. Also, the forum discussed fibre-based 

A panellist, Jagdeep Hira of Yash Pakka said, “Globally, the food packaging industry is valued at USD 606 billion. And, there is a need to collaborate among paper mills, tech partners, and customers.”

Numbers are dynamic. There is huge potential.

The topic has been controversial, given the volatility of plastic and recyclability of paper. Some delegates held the opinion that implementation of paper as a replacement will take time to implement. One of them mentioned that oil holdout time for certain products is critical, and that flexible packaging beats paper.

However, paper-based packaging has become a sustainable choice for packaging. But, it does not meet the functional properties of the packaging. MVTR and OTR are key requisites for employment of paper as a packaging material. These are the test methods which establish barrier properties and affect shelf-life.

Paper packaging must be food contact compliant. And, there should not be migration of toxic substances and interaction between the package and the contained product.

If possible, at the source, one must be able to identify the type of material and sort. The problem is not the material, neither plastic nor paper. We must together contribute to this movement to promote green practices.