Next steps for regenerative packaging

Our contribution is through finding ways to innovate, produce and provide compostable packaging alternates. So much of impact happens through high degree of consumption and desire for convenience. Over 70% of packaging that gets disposed is single use disposed on average in less than 15 minutes of use. This packaging then either stays on the planet forever in landfills, broken micro particles, carbon gas emissions or in the bellies of numerous of our co-habitants.

Packaging should not be just sustainable but also regenerative as everything in nature is. Sustainable is a low bar, we realise that it still needs to be achieved but it will not be enough. We will need to look at three domains- products, processes and habits.

Also Read: Need for Sustainable Packaging in Meat Industry

All that we produce for packaging needs to have a clear end of life. It needs to be nutritious food for another organism. It needs to break down and become earth again. We cannot possibly keep generating more harm through trying to collect, transport, ‘down cycle’ and re-transport to finally reach a stage where we cannot down cycle any more.

Regenerative products are not good enough if they end up using huge resources for production and generate harmful effects. We tend to ignore the ideas around how ‘stuff’ gets produced. Our large scale industrial systems use ‘heat, beat, treat’ as the basis utilising high amounts of energy and water. They also create various waste by-products. Our processes need to also ideally be regenerative or at the least be neutral. We need to evolve manufacturing.

These are some of the focus areas we need to work and invite more people to connect and join in this movement:

Build excellent solutions for bags through agricultural residues: We have been working on building better solutions for bags through sugarcane fibres. We will be accelerating the pace for the same and focus on re-orienting and expanding our production systems for delivering innovative options.

Spread fiber moulded products across the world: We will expand our production, range and reach for providing moulded products through our and other brands across the globe. We have built a wonderful range of products and it is time to invest strongly in building markets for the same.

Invest deeply towards innovations: Innovation is the need of the hour. Brands should focus on investing significantly towards finding solutions. Looking for the right partners globally to invest in and build product inspired by natural systems. We will devote significant energy and resources for ensuring that strides are made towards flexible packaging alternates in particular.

May Interest: McDonald’s partners with Zero-Waste platform loop to Pilot reusable packaging

Channelising processes and adding value: Channelising system is an important part as we need to find better mechanisms for altering our production processes and utilising the waste that is generated. They should also work towards altering the production systems to utilise less water, volatile chemicals, energy and transportation. We will then have to look at the waste that the processes generate and find ways to add value and ensuring utilisation. There has to be focussed work in the direction.

Build a strong community and movement: We realise that individually there is not much that we can do. There are so many inspired and knowledgeable people and organisations out there. We need to engage and align our energies. We should work towards building a platform that enables the same.