India’s first-ever edition of the Sustainable Packaging Summit encompassed global packaging experts, sustainability specialists, entrepreneurs, innovators, and policymakers who came together to address Sustainable Packaging in India.
The prime objective of this virtual event was to facilitate a dynamic platform for 200+ enthusiastic individuals to learn, share and represent innovative packaging solutions.
The 2-day summit, which was held on the 22nd and 23rd September 2022, was inclusive and collaborative. Registrants were grouped before the summit and were assigned a problem statement that the industry was currently tackling.
The best innovative solution then got an opportunity to win recognition for their solutions on the 2nd day.
The summit focused on the three most important concerns around sustainability. The first panel focused on whether India was ready for the packaging paradigm? This panel spoke about the key stakeholders, the decoding of complex supply chains, the technological gaps, brands coping with shifting consumer behavior, and India’s growing packaging waste crisis.
The second panel focused on Sustainable packaging alternatives and technological solutions. The panelists and moderators tapped on the industries that gear towards LCAs today, the sustainable packaging alternatives, and the scope of it.
Streamlining supply chains was a topic of interest to all. Lastly, the third panel focused on the Future of sustainable packaging in India and how to adopt linear to circular business models.
Each panel and topic of discussion had its own set of engaging debates and learnings that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
Some of the intriguing takeaways included how there is a considerable lack of tech and funding in India, which inhibits us from matching the current demand for sustainable product packaging and achieving economies of scale.
The process is more important than the product. While we perceive a plastic bottle to be at the bottom of the sustainability spectrum, the method used to manufacture it has a lower carbon impact (uses fewer resources) than producing a reusable glass bottle.
One of the most significant pain points across the industry is that there is no umbrella organization that’s leading the policy forward in terms of sustainable materials and processes.
Companies and consumers find it difficult to navigate a clear path forward since there has been minimal intervention from government bodies, PPPs and large corporations.
“We hosted this summit with the intention of bringing like-minded individuals together to foster conversation around the impacts of packaging on our everyday lives and planet. We were experiencing a great lineup of panelists who delved into insightful and informative conversations about the industry’s current state. With over 100 participants lending their voices to the discussion over the past two days, we got different perspectives on current consumer and supplier patterns. The most exciting part was the learnings that we left with. We’re excited and charged up about the potential in this space and all the work that is yet to be done!”
Prianka Jhaveri, Rishika Reddy and Rhea Kothari, The Mend Packaging co-founders, said,
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