CSIR-CFTRI Director Sridevi Annapurna Singh on Thursday, August 3, said finding a suitable replacement to single-use plastic is not a simple challenge since a lot of factors need to be looked into when it comes to food packaging. Besides, food safety issues also need to be considered while working out paper alternatives to plastic, she added.
“As food is a perishable product, the packaging material has to meet various factors like protection from moisture. By and large, the single-use plastic goes into the packaging of beverages and food products and the challenge is to find an alternate packaging materials for these products,” said Dr. Singh, in her address at the zonal seminar of Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Association (IPPTA) that got off to a start on the CSIR-CFTRI campus here.
Replacing single-use plastic by paper with emphasis on food packaging is the theme of the seminar, which is supported by the CSIR-CFTRI.
Stating that the threat to the environment from mounting plastic waste was huge, she said the plastic waste was expected to reach alarming proportions by 2050, and the magnitude of plastic waste dumped in oceans would be much larger. “The time may come when we find more plastic waste than fish in the sea. The plastic particles will enter human bodies too with the aquatic life getting too affected from the menace,” Dr. Singh cautioned.
“It’s challenging to find a suitable paper alternative to plastic but some clues can be found and worked upon in addressing the issue in a more comprehensive way. The challenge that we have is too big yet we can work together to find a solution,” the director said, while extending all support from the CSIR-CFTRI for finding a suitable replacement for single use plastic with emphasis on food packaging.
Earlier, Dr. Rajeshwar S. Matche, Chief Scientist, CSIR-CFTRI, who heads the Food Packaging Department, gave an overview of the seminar and challenges ahead with regard to packaging alternatives for food products.
IPPTA Honorary Secretary General M.K. Goyal expressed confidence in finding suitable paper alternatives to single-use plastic with the paper industry keen to join hands with the CSIR-CFTRI for the technology required for food packaging replacements.
In his key-note address, P.N. Sridhar, DGM (Sustainable Products and Packaging), ITC Limited, PSPD, Secunderabad said the substitute to single-use plastic has to be compatible and cost-effective and therefore, a viable solution has to be found. He also spoke about Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR), and the government’s guidelines with regard to recycling, reuse and end of life disposal.
IPPTA president Ganesh Bhadti delivered a presidential address where he said the support from CSIR-CFTRI plays an important role in finding appropriate paper substitutions for packaging food products.
On the occasion, an IPPTA journal was released and the people from the industry were felicitated. An exhibition of innovative products on paper is also part of the seminar.
The inaugural event was followed by panel discussions. The representatives from the industry and experts discussed on the topic “Replacement of plastic by paper – journey travelled so far and headwinds”. Technical session was also conducted where various alternatives were discussed, like bamboo as a solution for food packaging, and developments in the area of paper as packaging material for food applications. The day two of the seminar will have technical sessions and the valedictory will be held on Friday afternoon.
There is a special session on Friday, August 4, at 11:30 a.m. where Tanuja Abburi, DEI Leader Amazon, Asia Pacific/India/Latin America will speak on ‘Out of box thinking to encourage innovation at workplace’.
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