Packaging Sector

ExxonMobil collaborates on sustainability initiatives for India

Sustainability has grown in importance in India, especially in the last few years. With the publishing of the Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWMR) by the Indian government that include phasing out the manufacture of non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable or multi-layer plastics (MLPs), materials company ExxonMobil took up the challenge of replacing MLPs with recyclable* full polyethylene (PE) laminated solution in a collaboration with Indian firms. PRA found out more about this collaboration below.

PRA: How did the collaboration between

ExxonMobil and Shrinath, Syntegon come about? What packaging requirement gap has the collaboration been able to fill?

Ever since the Indian government published an amendment in the Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWMR) about phasing out non-recyclable multi-layer plastics (MLPs), there have been efforts made by the industry to develop alternatives that are recyclable, one of them being full PE laminate structures. However, when moving to full PE solutions, multiple hurdles were faced such as:

• Significant drop in packaging line speed • Unsatisfactory optics • Distortion in seal area and seal integrity issues • Change in sealing parameters

Realising these challenges, ExxonMobil took the lead in identifying the most appropriate value chain partners and synergistically combining their expertise in conversion capabilities (Shrinath), the latest packaging machine technology (Syntegon) and innovative formulations (ExxonMobil). The objective of this collaboration was to achieve full PE laminate solutions which can easily be used by brand owners for non-barrier applications such as salt, detergent and wheat flour packaging. The above challenges were overcome by creating a full PE laminate solution, including Exceed XP, Exceed, Enable performance PE polymers and Exact plastomers that delivered packaging speeds up to 65 packs/minute, good optics and eliminated any sealing issues.

PRA: India will

introduce measures to reduce plastics use in the country by 2022, but may exclude multilayer packaging. How will this situation boost PE laminated materials in packaging?

Syntegon’s FFS machine

Plastics help deliver the safe production, distribution and preservation of food and water. A recent study found that in the consumer goods sector, alternatives such as glass, aluminium and paper can have nearly four times the environmental impacts of plastics on a full lifecycle basis, because of production, transportation, and end of life environmental burdens associated with the additional weight of alternative materials required to provide the same function as plastics. 1 Of the plastic packaging options, flexible packaging is a very good choice for doing more with less. The flexible packaging industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India with a growth rate of 10%. This growth is attributed to the growing middle class and increasing consumption of packaged foods. 2

Packaging Sector

practices toward the top of the plastic waste PRA: India’s recycling activities are dominated by management pyramid. An intermediate target is the informal sector, for example, the waste to find ways to reduce the use of landfills and pickers. One of the challenges is the economic incineration and move toward more recycling and reuse (as well as reduction) 3 . Further, major

brand owners have made commitments to move being considered in the collaboration? to a certain percentage of recyclable plastic packaging within a certain timeframe. Therefore, Economic viability may not be determined solely by even though the 2018 amendment of PWMR has weight. A great example is that of milk packets in given options for recyclability and energy recovery India which are made of recyclable* 5 mono-material (states that “MLPs that are non-recyclable, nonPE films. Recognised by the waste pickers as having energy recoverable or with no alternative use value, they are collected significantly. These have to be phased out”), recyclability has the packets are then converted into granules and greater potential. One of the ways to achieve this is used for making irrigation pipes and tarpaulins. through full PE laminate solutions. So, the economic viability of recycling and

PRA: What do you think will be the impact

viability of lightweight plastic wastes, and this may affect collection rates. Is this aspect

collection is boosted significantly by how recyclable the original packaging design is 6 . of India’s product policy on plastic This collaboration successfully converted a PET/ manufacturers and processors in India? Will PE structure (which today would be discarded, go the extended producer responsibility (EPR) into land fill or energy recovery) to a full PE impact collaborations with local producers? structure, which provides a better option for recycling where programmes and facilities to Full PE laminate solutions are recyclable in collect and recycle plastic films exist. communities where programmes and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exist. As per PRA: Is the PE laminated packaging produced PWMR, Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) from this collaboration refer to the establishment of waste collection biodegradable? systems by MLP producers and brand owners. The recyclable full PE laminate solution is not ExxonMobil is taking action to address plastic biodegradable. However, based on the samples waste by increasing plastic recyclability, supporting provided to CIPET (Central Institute for Plastics improvements in plastic waste recovery – for Engineering & Technology) for testing, it was example, through our founding membership in concluded that the sample is recyclable, where the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – and prioritising programmes and facilities to collect and recycle the elimination of unnecessary waste from our plastic films exist, and energy recoverable as operations to increase efficiency and minimise potential impacts to the environment. 4 per IS (Indian Standard) 14534:2016 definition. 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/ ExxonMobil is offering recyclable full PE laminated packaging solutions articleshow/69966763.cms