Thinking beyond the plastics

Plastics have been receiving a lot of hate worldwide for a while now. It is not that they are terrible. Far from it. In fact just because they are so useful, the industry has over the years become so dependent on them that plastic packaging today is a major contributor for waste, and is literally choking the planet.?Today though a movement is on its way and?a marketing term, “plastic free” is becoming as popular as “no carbs”.?

But of course we have a long way to go.

Why is it so difficult to get rid of plastic or at least reduce its consumption??

Multiple reasons actually. Besides the fact that they are amazingly adaptive and easy to work with, there is also decades long dependence, casual consumer attitude, lack of information and intention, and of course the cost factor. Plastics are the cheapest medium to work with, that is why most businesses refuse to look beyond them. This needs serious intervention though.

Time to Change

According to a research done by Statista, the global plastic production has reached?460 million metric tons?in recent years, with almost a third of which is for packaging and?if the plastic consumption continues at the present rate, by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fishes.

I spoke to Rinka Banerjee Founder & Managing Partner of Thinking Forks and Abhijit Bansod Founder + Principal Designer, Studio ABD for some practical solutions. According to them it will take a concerted effort from individuals, companies, and governments to build a plastic-free future.

Independence from plastics

While bans and policy changes by the government regulatory bodies is one route (not always effective though), the second is educating consumers to bring their own reusable packaging when going shopping. Single-use plastic is the worst. It cannot be recycled easily and is very lightweight and thus litters and ends up in drains, landfills and our water bodies. Education can move mountains (of plastic in this case). It’s really just about learning new behaviour.

The industry too can help tackle the menace of too much plastic via innovations. In fact worldwide a generation of new businesses in the retail and food service industries are already working to tackle the root causes of plastic waste by creating business models that minimise the use of single-use plastic packaging or eliminate it altogether. Some of these new models (Recycle, and Reuse and zero waste packaging) being put into practice worldwide include.

Refill stores

Refill stores – also known as “refilleries” – allow customers to fill their own containers with as much or as little of a product as they need and pay for it by quantity, eliminating the need for plastic packaging and the waste it creates. Online directories indicate there are currently at least 600 refill stores and mobile delivery services across U.S. An interesting experiment along these lines is thriving in India too at 7 to 9 Green store opened by Bittu John GreenStore in at Kolenchery, Kerala where products and packaging are plastic-free.?It seems to have worked so hopefully more will follow. World Refill Day by the way is celebrated worldwide on June 19th.

Rethinking packaging

The returnable glass milk bottle or glass bottles of soft-drinks are the best examples of zero waste packaging. Lately containers designed to be sent back to the retailer or manufacturer after use to be cleaned, refilled and used again are gaining traction again and a new generation of businesses, in particular in the restaurant and takeout industry, are adapting this idea as a means of replacing single-use containers. Some examples include DeliverZero, which supplies returnable takeout packaging to 150-plus restaurants in the New York City area, and the “OZZI” machines, dispensing returnable food containers. In India too companies like Myntra Fashion have introduced a reusable packaging system that is durable, waterproof, and tear-resistant to reduce the need for plastic bags and packaging waste.

Eco-friendly alternatives

A lot of manufacturers are now switching to minimal packaging and are using materials such as paper, glass, wood and other eco-friendly and reusable materials instead of plastic packaging. Even simple changes like switching from using plastic tape to Kraft paper tapes is a good idea.?

Smaller companies like Amazinc and Plaine products only use 100% natural products and 100% recyclable aluminum bottles and cardboard boxes for their beauty products. Some Fortune 500 companies, like Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo are also testing selling juice in glass bottles, shampoo in aluminium bottles and other items in refillable non-plastic containers. In India some companies are switching over too albeit sporadically. Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd. and Forest Essentials for example have started experimenting with compostable packaging (which is designed to be composted along with organic waste) which is great to help foster an environmentally conscious future. Some companies like Ecoware have begun offering a range of compostable packaging products made from plant-based materials

Waste Transformation Packaging

This in really interesting. Making containers do double duty for example as a pot for planting small plants, trash can or a piggy bank.

Recycling?

Dell for example has been making use of ocean plastics.?The company is sourcing plastics from coastal areas and recycling them to create new packaging. In India too companies like Greenhandle are offering a range of eco-friendly packaging solutions.

In a nut shell

According to Mr Abhijit Bansod "Creating a no-waste brand isn't just a vision; it's a journey. By adopting a three-step approach—first reducing plastics, then eliminating them entirely, and finally moving towards no packaging at all—companies can lead the way in sustainable innovation.”?

“This evolution isn't just about cutting waste; it's about rethinking the entire lifecycle of a product to create lasting value for both consumers and the planet,” he says.

While we have a long way to go and even then zero waste packaging can never completely replace the convenience of plastic packaging because of multiple challenges, high cost being one. But it is important to work in that direction considering the impact that plastic packaging has on the planet, and eventually on our being. ?

Source: https://shorturl.at/MK4pp

Kavita Devgan is a Practicing Dietician, Holistic Health Counsellor, Nutrition Advocate, Health Columnist, Speaker and Author of Six Bestsellers

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