Hyderabad :A one full day National Conference on Packaging Sustainability—Towards a Circular Economy” to be held in the city on November 15, 2018, at Hotel Awasa, Madhapur.

It will be organized by the Indian Institute of Packaging – Hyderabad.  The apex body of the packaging industries in India.  It was set up in May 1966 by the Indian Packaging and allied industry and the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce with the objective of improving packaging standards in India.

Sanjay Singh, who leads the ITC Paperboards, paper and packaging business at conglomerate ITC Ltd will be the Chief Guest and Mr. Pradeep Chaudhry Managing Director of Gemini Edibles and Fats India(Gemini Oil) will be guest of Honour.

Prof. N.C. Saha, Director – Indian Institute of Packaging will also grace

The Conference will be organized by the Indian Institute of Packaging – Hyderabad, the apex body of the packaging industries in India.  IIP is a statutory body was set up in May 1966 by the Indian Packaging and allied industry and the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce with the objective of improving packaging standards in India. It is organized with the support from World Packaging Organisation, a nonprofit, non-governmental, International Federation of Packaging Institute and The Asian Packaging Federation, a nonprofit organization established in Tokyo, Japan in 1967, unites the packaging interest of all trade and industries in the Asia Pacific Region and beyond on co-operative umbrella.

Explaining the theme of the conference, Dr. N.C. Saha, Director of IIP said, the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 set the framework for managing plastic waste. These rules brought the spotlight on the need for managing the entire packaging material values stream leading to the birth of the “Circular Economy” in Packaging.

The Ellen Macarthur Foundation defines a Circular Economy as a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design.

It is a system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing and narrowing energy and material loops: this can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and upcycling.  This is in contrast to the linear economy which is a ‘take, make, dispose of’ model production.

The objective of the conference, according to Dr. N.C. Saha, “India is a country of 1.25 billion people.  The value of packaging consumption in India amounts to INR 811.1 billion in 2012, which is projected to grow INR 1488.6 billion by 2018.  Since the per capita consumption in India is significantly lower than the global average, many multinational companies are being attracted to the Indian market due to the strong long-term growth prospect of the packaging market.

India’s packaging industry has been developing due to the growth of food retail and pharmaceutical industries focusing on domestic and export.  The disposal solid waste of packaging material and packages is a focus point for the industries to concentrate on.  Creating a circular economy in packaging becomes critical in the current context.

The proposed National Conference will benefit the stakeholders from manufacturers, consumer, society and the environment.

This concept is now gaining ground and it would be enlightening to understand how one approaches this.

Nearly 250 delegates comprised of decision makers and influencers from Food, Pharmaceutical Consumer Industries, and material manufacturers