| |SEPTEMBER 202219Rising health consciousness among consumers is a key factor encouraging companies to experiment with packaging materials and raise the standards of safetyfriendly alternative to plastics, which could be an excellent replacement since their manufacturing results in fewer emissions of greenhouse gasses. In India, there are a number of entities that are right now working on this novel material. However, IIT Bombay seems to have gained a massive breakthrough. The institute has developed a product that is a combination of non-toxic, edible sugar-based or fat-based biopolymers approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that can degrade in about a week or a month.Researchers said at present high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is the standard non-degradable plastic barrier film, used for both consumer goods and food, by most packaging industries in India and overseas."Developing biodegradable alternatives to plastic is a major need since single-use plastic has become a global challenge in terms of environmental hazards", said Rinti Banerjee, Madhuri Sinha Chair Professor, department of biosciences and bioengineering.In its first phase, the product will focus on primary packaging of fast-moving consumer goods, which will then extend to packing solid perishables such as fruits and vegetables, and finally for liquids such as pouches of milk and juices.Advance Antimicrobial packagingIn India, a number of companies are developing exciting new active packaging materials to enhance safety in food, healthcare and personal-care markets. Today, companies are keen on technological advancements and are making hefty investments in research and development (R&D) to discover advanced food-grade materials and garner a wider consumer base. Rising health consciousness among consumers is a key factor encouraging companies to experiment with packaging materials and raise the standards of safety. There is a significant rise in the demand for packaged and convenience food from around the world and emerging regions in particular.A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad recently discovered the use of silver nanoparticles and bacterial cellulose for advanced food packaging with antimicrobial properties. Developed using gluconacetobacter xylinus bacteria, this bacterial cellulose is porous and highly crystalline. The material has excellent water holding and mechanical properties. The researchers managed to preserve tomatoes for around 30 days with the help of this material and without any kind of microbial spoilage. According to them, the bacterial cellulose principle is applicable for producing antimicrobial packaging to be used for healthcare and personal hygiene products.Now looking to the other side, there are still a number of challenges that are effectively impeding the growth of the eco-friendly packaging in India. Exponential price hike of kraft papers being one of such issues, the country is facing numerous technical, macro and micro level challenges. Unbranded Products & Fragmented SupplyAt a micro level, the fragmented nature of the supply side is leading to industry challenges. Adding up to that is that packaging as a product category is unbranded. Together this is creating a mediocre customer experience with issues such as inconsistent packaging quality and tedious vendor discovery. For manufacturers, this means underutilized capacities, inconsistent processes, and reduced margins. End result - a suboptimal demand and supply system with tremendous room for improvement.The Future OutlookGains in recycled packaging in the Indian market can be attributed to growth of the food and beverages industry. Changing lifestyle has created the demand for packaging, as consumers now invest more on packed food and beverages. Healthcare and personal care segments are also coming up with sustainable packaging to lure consumers. Boom in e-Commerce and organized retail further contributes to the packaging sector. The e-Commerce retail sector has grown to 65 million monthly unique visitors, seeing an annual increase of 55 percent, states the ASSOCHAM-Forrester report. With all these trends shaping up, the current growth in demand for sustainable packaging solutions and the drive to fight climate change is sure to go a long way.
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