If you’ve shopped online in recent times, you must have noticed a significant change in packaging. Online e-commerce platforms are increasingly using biodegradable materials and there is also a focus on reducing packaging waste. The change in packaging patterns echoes the government’s line of thinking as the Department of Consumer Affairs announces its plans to set standards for sustainable packaging. The move is aimed at reducing soft waste generated by the food and beverage industry and promoting the use of eco-friendly materials in packaging.
In this regard, the department is expected to collaborate extensively with industry experts and stakeholders to prepare guidelines for sustainable packaging aligned with global compliances. From a brand perspective, this was expected as giants like Flipkart and Amazon have started their transition to sustainable packaging.
Flipkart claims to be the first e-commerce company to actively support this initiative and has worked with multiple stakeholders to adopt sustainable packaging. As per its claims, in July 2021, most of its seller-fulfilled shipments were delivered in sustainable packaging. Jumping on the bandwagon, Amazon India has also made significant strides in its efforts towards sustainability. In September 2019, the company pledged to reduce all single-use plastic packaging from more than 50 of its filling centers. Furthermore, in December 2019, Amazon India replaced plastic packaging materials such as bubble wraps and air pillows with sustainable alternatives such as paper cushioning.
“Flipkart’s journey towards sustainable packaging has been a strategic and concerted effort to create a positive environmental and social impact. We began our ambition to reduce plastic in 2018, and by the next year, we will eliminate single-use plastic.” Pledged to completely eliminate. our packaging in the supply chain. In June 2021, we succeeded in eliminating single-use plastic packaging from our supply chain,” said Dharashree Panda, Director – Sustainability at Flipkart.
Interestingly, Flipkart has also set up a plastic recycling network to recycle equivalent post-consumer plastic waste. Panda said these efforts have contributed significantly to reducing overall costs across Flipkart’s supply chain. “Flipkart’s sustainability priorities will continue to grow as we move forward, and we look forward to encouraging the ecosystem at large,” he added.
Abhinav Singh, Vice President – Operations, Amazon India, said, “Through innovative technologies, processes and materials, we have successfully reduced packaging weight by 38% globally and recycled over 1.5 million tonnes of packaging material since 2015. Our pilot plastic-free solutions in India for single use and collaboration with manufacturers for sustainable packaging innovations have enabled us to make significant progress towards our sustainability goals without impacting customer experience or product safety We have taken several steps towards reducing packaging waste in our supply chain, including expanding our India-first initiative, Packaging-Free Shipment, to over 300 cities across the country. We believe We believe that each of our efforts is a step towards positive change in society. However, there is still a long way to go, and we consider this as the first day towards achieving our sustainability vision.
A CII report suggests that by adopting sustainable packaging practices, companies in India can reduce their packaging costs by up to 30%. A Nielsen survey found that 75% of Indian consumers are willing to pay more for products that use sustainable packaging, and 71% believe that companies have a responsibility to use eco-friendly packaging. This shows that there is a growing demand for sustainable packaging among Indian consumers, which can lead to increased sales and higher profits for companies adopting it.
The push for the acceptance of sustainable packaging is not limited to the e-commerce sector alone. Leading restaurant aggregators and food delivery giants such as Zomato, as well as dairy industry giants such as Amul and Mother Dairy, are also betting big on plastic-neutral packaging to support their sustainability initiatives. While Zomato aims to deliver 100 million orders in sustainable packaging by 2025, Amul and Mother Dairy are aggressively moving towards sustainable packaging, paper cartons and recyclable materials.
Globally acclaimed players in the food and beverage packaging industry are also making substantial investments in India, citing the sheer volume of sustainable packaging initiatives. Highlighting the transformative trends in the Indian packaging industry, Vandana Tandon, Head of Market India and Bangladesh, SIG Combibloc India Private Limited, said, “There is a growing demand to reduce waste and reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Recyclable, Biodegradable and compostable materials as well as a focus on innovative packaging design that minimizes the amount of material used. Therefore, aseptic solutions as a viable solution to meet the growing demand for packaging are being adopted that are safe, convenient and sustainable.. She adds that going forward the industry is set to enter a period of sustained growth.
“We also expect an increase in the use of smart packaging, which can provide valuable data on product condition, location and use, which will lead to better supply chain management and waste reduction.” Additionally, there is a growing demand for personalized packaging to create unique and memorable experiences. Lastly, we also expect to see a shift towards automation and digitization to reduce costs, increase efficiency and enable real-time tracking and monitoring of products.
Although companies across the spectrum are slowly moving towards sustainable packaging, the biggest challenges remain single-use plastics and cost-effectiveness. Not all firms have the resources to mitigate these challenges and experts believe that the government needs to do more at policy levels to help overcome barriers. Overall, these trends present exciting opportunities for the packaging industry to adapt and meet the evolving needs of consumers and businesses.