You know sustainability is entering mainstream conversations when one of the country’s largest consumer goods company, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), pledges to reduce its carbon footprint. The FMCG and food company is committed to ensuring that all its packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025—a worthy goal considering the current state of our planet. In addition, HUL will reduce packaging through design, new materials and concentrated versions of their products, as well as increase the recycled plastic material content in their packaging to 25 per cent. They have already eliminated packaging PVC from 99 per cent of their portfolio and reduced packaging (by weight) by 13 per cent per consumer from 2010 to 2017.
What’s the damage?
According to the Ellen McArthur foundation, only 14 per cent of plastic packaging reaches recycling plants, 40 per cent ends up in landfill and a third is left in our ecosystems. Reports also say that a million plastic bottles are being bought every minute, and that plastic waste kills about a million seabirds and 1,00,00 marine animals every year. In late 2017, the popular BBC nature documentary, Blue Planet 2, led to a wave of conversations regarding litter polluting the oceans and how plastic microfibres end up in our own food and water.
Eco-friendly packaging
Rethinking product packaging is the need of the hour. Corigami is an Indian company founded by Udit Bansal, Aditi Tandon and Alisha Vasudev, that helps environmentally conscious start-ups find eco-friendly packaging solutions. Bansal is an environmental engineer by profession, but had a family business in packaging. He combined the two to start a company that offers authentic alternatives to disposable packaging. They have a plant outside Pune and use materials like jute, recycled paper, corrugated board and bamboo in different packaging solutions. Some of their clients include Goa-based apparel label, No Nasties, Pune-based alcohol company, Moonshine Meadery, and Bengaluru-based food brand, Honey & Spice.
What measures can the rest of the population take to help reduce plastic waste?
Last year, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC) implemented a plastic ban in the city prohibiting plastic bags and cutlery, and thermocol containers—which began a change in the residents’ mindset and lifestyle. However, the onus for eliminating packaging waste lies not only with companies and governments, but also with consumers. Here are a few simple steps you can take to make a contribution towards reducing plastic waste.
- Carry a metal or glass water bottle instead of buying bottled water. Similarly, carry a travel mug for tea, coffee, smoothies and other drinks.
- Refuse disposable cutlery (especially when you order from food delivery apps). Carry reusable cutlery with you when you go out.
- Use a copper straw instead of plastic straws—it’s better for both the environment and your health.
- Keep a cloth bag folded in your purse so you don’t need to accept plastic bags from vendors
- Volunteer at beach clean-ups in your area, especially post monsoon and after Ganesh Chaturthi when the coastline is full of litter.
Also read:
The Circular Design Challenge is India’s first sustainability award in fashion
17 sustainable buys under 5k to help you commit to slow fashion in 2019
The post How Indian companies are helping reduce wasteful packaging appeared first on VOGUE India.
from Fashion – VOGUE India http://bit.ly/2UWKQfY
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