Maharashtra: Why ban on plastic-coated packaging won’t help

Last week, the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government banned the production of single-use plastic packaging, and plastic-coated and laminated goods in the state. While the new rule disallows the use of dishes, glasses, forks, containers and bowls made with these materials, the green packaging industry that's been systematically working to create environment-friendly alternatives feels that the state authorities should have taken them into confidence while coming up with effective solutions for industries that are going to be affected by the ban.

Pune-based entrepreneur Udit Bansal's company Corugami has been working since 2018 to create packaging that avoids use of single-use plastics. For instance, Corugami created a box to transport glass bottles that doesn't use bubble wrap at all. "The problem isn't that plastic is not recyclable. When you make packaging material with both plastic and paper, it makes segregation difficult," says Bansal, while discussing the challenges of plastic-coated goods.

Also read: Mumbai: BMC to target gatherings, events over plastic ban

According to him, no recycling plant in India at present can recycle paper cups and glasses that are coated with non-separable plastic. "They end up in landfills and then into our ocean." Bansal says that there are water-proof alternatives to plastic-coating, but they are still in the development stage, and need to be tested to check if they are food safe. The other option, he says, is using cups and containers made of bamboo or clay. "However, such packaging comes at a cost, and require high investment."

While in theory, he says, the ban is a great move, Bansal feels both, small-and large-scale manufacturing businesses have been given too short a notice to come up with alternatives, of which there are very few in the market. "The state government should rethink the idea or become part of the solution." Despite offering sustainable packaging, Bansal says he hasn't received any incentives from the state government till date.

According to a report published in HB Fuller, an American adhesives manufacturing company supplying industrial adhesives worldwide, between 2021 and 2026, India's packaging sector is predicted to grow at a rate of nearly 27 per cent. Meanwhile, the sustainable packaging market globally is expected to reach approximately US$400 million per day by 2024, an SME Futures report indicated, with India too, picking up pace in this segment.

Lokesh Sambhwani, Udit Bansal and Nitin Dixit

While most industry experts feel this is the best time to make the switch to eco-friendly packaging, there are entrepreneurs like Lokesh Sambhwani, co-founder of Mumbai-based Refillable, who have a different opinion on the issue. "Why can't we get rid of packaging completely?" he asks.

Sambhwani tells it like it is, when he points out that all manufacturing businesses were given four years to think about alternatives. "The initial ban was introduced in 2018... they should have thought of options by now. You can't complain about not having enough time."

His company offers a zero-waste refill service, providing homecare liquids delivered in a packaged-free manner at people's doorstep. Their refill vans provide everything from detergents, hand wash, and shampoo. They hope to expand to selling groceries and other essentials.

"At present there is no known scalable, and cost-effective alternative to plastic. We don't have anything that is 100 per cent biodegradable," he says. "The least we can do is reuse what we have. Reduce, reuse and recycle - it should be in this order. But what everyone is doing is just recycling and focusing on manufacturing more."

The other challenge, he says, is the lack of waste-segregation infrastructure in India. "When you throw a bamboo plate and a plastic bottle, the rag pickers are told to pick up plastic because they get an incentive, but they have not been communicated to pick up the bamboo plate. There is general lack of awareness at the ground level."

The concept of reuse, he says, has existed in business models since eons. "There was a time when every household had dedicated bottles to refill milk. So, why can't we do that now? The concept of reuse culture will change the entire landscape."

Greenr, a plant-based café with its outlet in Bandra, has been using sustainable packaging for delivery since it launched in the city in 2021. They have containers and boxes made out of bagasse, which is a dry pulpy fibrous material obtained after crushing sugarcane stalks. While bagasse soaks up some liquid, Nitin Dixit, co-founder of Greenr says, that it stays fine for 30 minutes till it reaches the customer's house. They also have small containers for dips and ketchup to eliminate plastic sachets or containers used normally. For seasonings, instead of small plastic sachets, they have small bag papers that do the job well. However, the same packaging, he feels, might not work for Udupi restaurants in the city, where sambar and chutney are the norm. Every business will need packaging customised exclusively for them. "That's going to cost. The government and industry should work together to find alternatives," he says.