India pushes for food-grade recycling at PPRDC summit

The 6th PPRDC Summit in New Delhi brought together policymakers, companies, and recyclers to chart the future of food-grade recycled plastics in India. A key highlight was the release of a scientific report on recycling post-consumer polypropylene (PP), offering a roadmap to integrate up to 60% recycled content safely into food packaging.

 

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The 6th Plastic Packaging Research and Development Centre (PPRDC) Summit in New Delhi convened policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to explore the future of food-grade recycled materials in India. The summit highlighted cross-sector collaboration, with active participation from government bodies, brand owners, producers, and recyclers—all aligned on promoting sustainable packaging.

Key representatives from the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, BIS, FSSAI, and major companies like Reliance Industries, Tata Consumer Products, Dabur, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and UFlex shared insights and discussed challenges. A landmark study titled “Recycling of Post-Consumer Food-grade Polypropylene (PPs) Waste: Sustainable Valorisation of Recycled PP Material” was launched, offering a scientific roadmap for safely integrating recycled polypropylene (rPP) in food-grade packaging. The report showcases how using rPP can align brands with consumer values, lower their carbon footprint, and build brand equity in a sustainability-conscious market.

Despite being the second most produced plastic globally, PP has a recycling rate of just 3–5%. The report proposes using multi-point decontamination and double-filtration to safely incorporate up to 60% post-consumer rPP into the core layer of multilayer food packaging.

Key stakeholders emphasized that building a circular economy for packaging goes beyond regulatory mandates. Leaders from across the value chain called for proactive collaboration, clear frameworks, and scalable innovation to ensure food-safe use of recycled materials. They called for collaboration and a shift in mindset, urging stakeholders to treat sustainability not as a burden but as a shared imperative.