Could you tell us about India Plastics Pact’s inception and objectives?
Nandini Kumar: The India Plastics Pact (IPP) was launched in September 2021 under the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as a voluntary business commitment in the realm of plastic packaging. We began with a small group of eight to 10 companies as the founding members of the IPP. Since then, we have grown significantly, and today, our membership stands at 54 companies, representing various stakeholders across the plastics value chain. Our mission aligns with the global plastics pacts, focusing on reducing and eliminating problematic plastic packaging, designing for reusability, recyclability, and compostability, achieving a certain recycling rate within the country, and incorporating recycled content into packaging and thereby creating a circular economy for plastics.
All the 14 plastics pacts, including the IPP, are now part of a formal Global Plastics Pact Network. This network is convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the U.K.-based WRAP. The goal is to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices, knowledge, and learning across all the continents and the vision is a world where plastic is valued and does not pollute the environment.
Ankit Gupta: As a leading FMCG company in India, we at ITC, recognise the critical importance of sustainability, particularly in plastic packaging. While many companies, including ours, have internal sustainability strategies, the IPP provides a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together all relevant players in the plastics ecosystem. This platform is unique because it is science-based, data-driven, and focuses on collective action rather than isolated efforts. It is an excellent enabler for us as a brand to achieve our own vision, to stay ahead of compliance and make a larger, transformative difference. The best part is the IPP has the entire value chain representation.
Who are the key members of the India Plastics Pact, and what role do they play?
Kumar: The IPP has a diverse membership base that includes recyclers, converters, packaging manufacturers, brands, and waste management organisations. The fundamental principle of the Pact is to engage those who place packaging on the Indian market, such as brands, as they are the ones responsible for making impactful changes. They fall under our ‘Member’ category.
Recyclers and waste management companies become part of our ‘Supporter’ category. Without them we cannot galvanise the entire ecosystem. While technology providers and other ancillary players like ink makers and machine manufacturers are not signatories to the pact, they play a crucial role providing expertise and support to the signatories.
How does the India Plastics Pact align with global plastics pacts, and what challenges does it address?
Kumar: The IPP is the first pact of its kind in Asia, and it aligns with the 13 other plastics pacts operating globally. While the targets are qualitatively similar across all pacts, the ambition varies based on each country's specific context. For example, our target is to achieve a 25% incorporation of recycled content in plastic packaging by 2030. The challenges we face are consistent with those seen worldwide, but the nuances in regulations, market dynamics, and infrastructure necessitate country-specific strategies. The IPP is tailored to India's unique challenges and opportunities and benefits from CII’s network all over the country.
How does being part of the IPP help the brands?
Gupta: The IPP offers significant benefits to its members, including companies like ITC. Firstly, it complements the company's own approach by providing a collaborative platform to address regulatory challenges and industry problems. The advisory committee meetings and engagements are particularly valuable, bringing together perspectives from the entire value chain, including converters, recyclers, and competitors, which helps in shaping strategies and meeting broader goals.
Like I mentioned earlier, the IPP provides data-driven insights and design guidance, which are developed with input from industry experts. This allows companies to benefit from established knowledge without starting from scratch, making it easier to refine strategies and approaches.
The global network of the IPP helps in tracking emerging trends and setting the right direction for innovation and sustainability.
How does the pact support brands in meeting both their internal sustainability goals and regulatory requirements like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines in India?
Gupta: The EPR guidelines in India are quite prescriptive and ambitious, setting steep targets for plastic waste management. While the EPR sets the targets, it doesn't provide specific instructions on how to achieve them. This is where the India Plastics Pact plays a crucial role, offering support to brands by facilitating collaboration and helping them navigate the complexities of different types of packaging materials. The IPP provides a collaborative platform where companies can share knowledge, explore solutions, and develop strategies to meet these targets. The pact's action groups focus on specific categories of plastics, helping members understand how to design their packaging to be recyclable and incorporate recycled content. This collective approach is crucial for navigating the complex regulatory landscape and achieving both corporate and national sustainability goals.
What are some of the key achievements of the IPP over the past three years?
Kumar: One of our major achievements has been the creation of India-specific guidelines for plastic packaging design. These guidelines, which cover PET beverage bottles, general rigid containers, and HDPE rigid containers, are publicly available and tailored to the Indian context. They address the unique challenges of the Indian market, such as manual separation, imperfect collection systems, and the dominance of small and medium enterprises. This contextualised approach is crucial for making meaningful progress in India. Additionally, we are focusing on citizen behaviour, reuse models, flexible packaging, and incorporating recycled content into packaging—areas where we see significant potential for impact.
Gupta: The IPP’s role in advancing the understanding and management of plastic packaging in India is to be highlighted. One of its key achievements is the development of baseline data and documents that provide critical insights into plastic packaging in the region. These resources are invaluable not only for India but also for other South and East Asian countries with similar contexts.
These documents serve as essential tools for policymakers and brands, enabling data-driven decisions to improve plastic packaging management.
What are some of the challenges ahead on the roadmap to 2030?
Kumar: One of the key factors will be the stability and consistency of the EPR regime in India. If the EPR remains strong and is enforced well, it would be fantastic for the industry. Right now, it seems to be on track, and I have no reason to believe otherwise.
Another significant challenge lies in flexible packaging—how do we eliminate what’s problematic and unnecessary? We need to think of alternative packaging formats for small items like sachets without creating additional environmental problems. Citizen behaviour also plays a major role in how regulations can be enforced. But despite these challenges, I’m optimistic. Science and technology are advancing rapidly, and we’re seeing strong cooperation from the signatories to the pact. When everyone is committed to moving forward together, progress is inevitable.
Gupta: One critical aspect is ensuring that the packaging we produce is not just theoretically recyclable but is actually recycled. This requires a robust waste management ecosystem supported by citizen participation in waste segregation at the source. We need a compliant recycling infrastructure that can handle different types of packaging. Both of these aspects need to evolve in tandem with the work that brands are doing. Broader systemic changes, including policy shifts and financial investments, are necessary. It’s a large-scale transformation, and while it may take time—perhaps beyond 2030—the important thing is that we are moving in the right direction.
What are the next steps for scaling up the India Plastics Pact, and how do you plan to involve more stakeholders?
Kumar: One of the ways we plan to expand is by reaching out to more companies, including other FMCG companies, through CII’s extensive network and extensive experience in convening the right set of stakeholders. Expansion is not an issue as long as we have the necessary funding and commitment. We are fully dedicated to overcoming the barriers that prevent companies from transitioning to more sustainable packaging solutions.
Ankit: The initiative involves expanding membership and involving more stakeholders, including MSMEs. The Pact is actively working on different membership models to attract a diverse range of participants. The focus is on maintaining momentum by continuously enhancing projects and expanding efforts each year, in alignment with the 2030 roadmap. The IPP will keep advancing its initiatives with a clear focus on achieving the four key targets outlined in its action plan, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to meet these goals while continually learning and adapting.