Should we stop using sachets?
Small plastic packages called sachets have given businesses access to millions of low-income consumers in developing nations, but they have also sparked a global pollution catastrophe. According to a Reuters investigation, while publicly declaring its desire to "get rid of" the troublesome packaging, London-listed Unilever, a pioneer in the sachet industry, has actively worked to thwart prohibitions on it.
Sachets are frequently utilized in emerging regions to offer inexpensive micro-portions of everyday products, from laundry detergent to seasoning and snacks, while typically being linked with ketchup or cosmetic samples in wealthier countries.
The "Sachet Revolution's" driving force was an Indian who did not work for a global corporation. The sachet idea was first presented to the Indian market by the late Chinni Krishnan, who was located in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. The sachet model wasn't adopted by other top global businesses until much later. Chinni Krishnan thought of the idea of introducing goods in small packets in order to make luxury goods accessible to the labor class and people.
Talcum powders were quite expensive and packaged in tin containers during the 1970s. Krishnan discovered a solution to make it affordable for those in lower socioeconomic groups. The contents would be placed in smaller 100gm, 50gm, and 20gm packages, which he would then sell for a significantly lower price. With Epsom salt, he started acting in a similar manner before deciding to even try packing liquid goods in lower quantities.
Before settling on the final product, Chinni Krishnan conducted some experimentation. He first altered a device for sealing PVC folders before sealing the end of a clear hose pipe. He then sealed the other end after adding water to it. He continued to try the experiment with different materials even though it did not succeed. A sachet was made once he was succeeded in locating a material that would keep the product securely contained inside. Shampoo, honey, and hair oil were among the first products he offered in sachets. In and around Cuddalore, he sold them locally.
When Hindustan Unilever (HUL), a Unilever subsidiary in India, began offering shampoo in tiny amounts for one rupee ($0.01) each in the 1980s, it is largely recognized as having pioneered the mass marketing of items packaged in sachets. According to researcher C.K., around the turn of the century, sachets included nearly 70% of all shampoo sold in India. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, written by Prahalad in 2004, contains these words.
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Sachets, according to supporters, provide consumers with low incomes access to high-quality, secure products. Critics assert that firms overcharge the poor since goods supplied in this manner are more expensive per unit than those in larger bundles.
A significant environmental issue has also been produced by them. These single-use sachets, which are frequently offered in nations without adequate garbage collection, end up as litter, blocking waterways and endangering wildlife. The intricate design and small size of these packages make it nearly impossible to recycle them profitably, even in nations with trash infrastructure. Burying or burning them is simpler.
It is exceedingly challenging to separate sachets using the recycling infrastructure in place since they are composed of many elements that are glued together. Additionally difficult to gather, organize, and wash are tiny sachets. Using so-called sophisticated recycling techniques, such as those that employ heat or chemicals to convert plastic trash into fuel or reclaimed resin to create new plastic, sachets could be recycled. However, despite aggressive marketing by plastic manufacturers and consumer products companies, this technology has consistently failed to gain commercial traction.
Companies that sell consumer goods claim to be experimenting with a variety of alternatives to plastic sachets, including the use of biodegradable packaging and the delivery of products through refill machines that let users reuse the same container repeatedly. However, these initiatives have not been widely implemented. But hopefully they will in the future.