Packaging Sector practices toward the top of the plastic waste management pyramid. An intermediate target is to find ways to reduce the use of landfills and incineration and move toward more recycling and reuse (as well as reduction) 3 . Further, major brand owners have made commitments to move to a certain percentage of recyclable plastic packaging within a certain timeframe. Therefore, even though the 2018 amendment of PWMR has given options for recyclability and energy recovery (states that “MLPs that are non-recyclable, nonenergy recoverable or with no alternative use have to be phased out”), recyclability has the greater potential. One of the ways to achieve this is through full PE laminate solutions. PRA: What do you think will be the impact of India’s product policy on plastic manufacturers and processors in India? Will the extended producer responsibility (EPR) impact collaborations with local producers? Full PE laminate solutions are recyclable in communities where programmes and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exist. As per PWMR, Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) refer to the establishment of waste collection systems by MLP producers and brand owners. ExxonMobil is taking action to address plastic waste by increasing plastic recyclability, supporting improvements in plastic waste recovery – for example, through our founding membership in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – and prioritising the elimination of unnecessary waste from our operations to increase efficiency and minimise potential impacts to the environment. 4
PRA: India’s recycling activities are dominated by the informal sector, for example, the waste pickers. One of the challenges is the economic viability of lightweight plastic wastes, and this may affect collection rates. Is this aspect being considered in the collaboration? Economic viability may not be determined solely by weight. A great example is that of milk packets in India which are made of recyclable* 5 mono-material PE films. Recognised by the waste pickers as having value, they are collected significantly. These packets are then converted into granules and used for making irrigation pipes and tarpaulins. So, the economic viability of recycling and collection is boosted significantly by how recyclable the original packaging design is 6 . This collaboration successfully converted a PET/ PE structure (which today would be discarded, go into land fill or energy recovery) to a full PE structure, which provides a better option for recycling where programmes and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exist. PRA: Is the PE laminated packaging produced from this collaboration biodegradable? The recyclable full PE laminate solution is not biodegradable. However, based on the samples provided to CIPET (Central Institute for Plastics Engineering & Technology) for testing, it was concluded that the sample is recyclable, where programmes and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exist, and energy recoverable as per IS (Indian Standard) 14534:2016 definition.
ExxonMobil is offering recyclable full PE laminated packaging solutions
1 Source: Trucost study 2 Source: https://www. businesswire.com/news/ home/20190726005164/en/ Indian-Flexible-PackagingMarket-Growth-10-2023 3 Source: https://www.bcg. com/publications/2019/ plastic-waste-circularsolution.aspx 4 Source: ExxonMobil Sustainability Report 2018 5 *Recyclable in communities where programs and facilities to collect and recycle plastic film exist. 6 Source: https://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/city/ ahmedabad/amulpositive-to-governmentmove-to-recycleused-milk-pouches/ articleshow/69966763.cms MAY / JUNE 2020
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