POLYMERS Communique - 6.5 - June-July 2020 by Polymers Communique

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Jun - Jul 2020 l Issue 6.5 l ` 150

We Will Set it Right and Better BUSINESS Beyond COVID-19

CLEAN SHIELD

Experts Opine

Dr. Arup Basu Executive Director, Huhtamaki PPL Ltd.

ANTIBACTERIAL

ADDITIVES | BIOCOMPOUNDS | COLOUR / BLACK & WHITE MASTERBATCHES | MODIFIERS |Dr.SINGLE PIGMENT CONCENTRATES Professor (Dr.) FILLERS Ajay Tandon R. Vasudevan Vijendra Babu N. Ganapati D. Yadav Emeritus Professor of Eminence & Former Vice Chancellor and R. T. Mody Distinguished Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology

President, Engineering and New Product Development, UFlex Ltd.

Dean ECA and CEO, Professor, Micro Plastics Department of Pvt. Ltd. Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering +91 2240631515

Soltex petroproducts ltd.

sales@soltexpetro.com ed@soltexpetro.com

Issue Supported by

www.soltexpetro.com

Being Competitive

“If you keep on having a winning streak, you will never realise what it is to lose; on the other hand, if you win after losing, your happiness is double. In sports, we believe that the learning after losing is far more than the learning after a victory,” believes Irfan Pathan, the seasoned all-rounder of Indian cricket, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Jun - Jul 2020 l Issue 6.5 l ` 150

We Will Set it Right and Better BUSINESS Beyond COVID-19

Experts Opine

Being Competitive Dr. Arup Basu Executive Director, Huhtamaki PPL Ltd.

Professor (Dr.) Ganapati D. Yadav Emeritus Professor of Eminence & Former Vice Chancellor and R. T. Mody Distinguished Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology

Issue Supported by

Ajay Tandon President, Engineering and New Product Development, UFlex Ltd.

Dr. R. Vasudevan Dean ECA and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering

Vijendra Babu N. CEO, Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

CONTENTS

Jun - Jul 2020 l Issue 6.5

Business Beyond COVID-19 We, at POLYMERS Communiqué, have been on a mission

of a different kind since the third week of March, 2020.

We continued our approach in providing readers with

Ashish Baheti, Managing Director, Vectus Industries Ltd., Noida

Geet Chadha, Director, Soltex Petroproducts Ltd., Mumbai

Dr. R. Vasudevan, Dean ECA and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai

Manish Mehta, Managing Director, Reifenhauser India Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

thought-provoking leadership interactions on our varied

regards business beyond COVID-19 for people to operate

J. N. Bhat, Managing Director, Shini Plastic

Manfred Hackl, CEO, EREMA Group GmbH, Austria

Varun Gupta, Director, Calco Poly Technik Pvt. Ltd., Sonepat

digital platforms, to create some kind of framework as

within. We are glad that we pioneered such an initiative in

India for our industry! Your feedback was overwhelming.

Thank you.

And now, where are we today? We are at a point where

there is no time to complaint...and for that matter, compliant

re-deliver. At this juncture, each one is trying to come to

to whom? It’s now just the time to handhold and time to

terms with the massive compulsive changes that the

Jayen J. Modi, Managing Director, Baerlocher India Additives Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

Technologies India Pvt. Ltd., Pune

Aalekh Jain, Director, APPL Industries Ltd., Pune

Makarand Dixit, Senior Advisor Marketing - Petrochemicals, Nayara Energy Ltd., Mumbai

Mahinder Singh, Secretary General, Chemicals &

Petrochemicals Manufacturers’ Association (CPMA), New Delhi

Tushar Parikh, Director, Neoplast Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

Sribash Dasmohapatra, Executive Director, The Plastics Export

pandemic has brought with it. The initial feedback from

the conjecture is that things will change exponentially for

BEING COMPETITIVE

best time to get noticed.

Irfan Pathan, the seasoned all-rounder of Indian cricket

Penned down by Siddhant, Assistant Editor, POLYMERS Communiqué

the industry (buyers and sellers)...‘it’s not all that bad’ and

the better! Be there, stand up and deliver! It’s, infact, the

An Initiative Supported By

48 56

GUIDING LIGHT

Mahendra Patel, Chairman, Mamata Group, Ahmedabad

Professor (Dr.) Ganapati D. Yadav, Former Vice Chancellor

and R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

Arvind M. Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

Promotion Council, Mumbai

Clean Bowled by Irfan Pathan

SILVER LINING

2020: An Opportunity to Reset Operations and Emerge Fitter and Better

Dr. Arup Basu, Executive Director, Huhtamaki PPL Ltd., Mumbai

PACKAGING SURGE

Demand for Flexible Packaging Looks Northwards After COVID-19 Outbreak

Ajay Tandon, President, Engineering and New Product Development, UFlex Ltd., Noida

NEXT GENERATION INJECTION MOLDING CONTROL office.in@br-automation.com | +91-20-41478999

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ENERGY

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Changing Life

re-do things, many-a-times you do it better! Post COVID-19, the world might just come back with a bang! And who knows for India, the comeback just might be bang, bang!

Importance of Toys as an Industry Needs to be Understood

Vijendra Babu N., CEO, Micro Plastics

Mitigate Risks by Designing and Operating Plants Safely

Siddhant siddhant@polymerscommunique.com

POLYTHINKING

Advertising Sales - National

Eminence & Former Vice Chancellor and R. T. Mody Distinguished Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology

SIVaRAM SPEAKS

Molecular Recycling Technologies: Efficient Conversion of Post-consumer PET to Terephthalic Acid

Dr. S. Sivaram, Former Director, CSIR-NCL, Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

Shri Madhusudan Balvantrai Shah: An Inspirational Journey

Stadiums Today, Inconceivable Without Plastics

A TRIBUTE

Namrata Shetty, Consultant Architect, SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd.,

Co-founder, Innovative Thought Forum, Ahmedabad

In series...

Demystifying the New Normal: Learning to Live With COVID-19

Shailesh Sheth, Corporate Strategy Advisor Management & Manufacturing Technology, Mumbai

Rakesh Shah, RS Coaching and Consulting, New Delhi

102

S. K. Ray, Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee

104

Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 406, Vikas Centre, Dr. C. G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA

Editorial Advisory Board Arvind Mehta Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd. Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging N. K. Balgi formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd. Pushp Raj Singhvi formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd. Rajesh Nath Managing Director German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office Rakesh Shah formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd. S. K. Ray formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

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Returning to Office or Work from Home: Handling Challenges

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New Delhi Vijay +91-98100 15111 vijay@polymerscommunique.com

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Mumbai Vinisha +91-88790 50327 vinisha@polymerscommunique.com

BUILDING DREAMS

Waste is a Resource at the Wrong Place

Hyderabad Vani +91-93924 28927 vani@polymerscommunique.com

Vadodara D. S. Bhumra +91-81289 90887 devinder@polymerscommunique.com

Mumbai

Jyoti jyoti@polymerscommunique.com

Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

Professor (Dr.) Ganapati D. Yadav, Emeritus Professor of

Chief Editor

Asst. Editor

opportunities in this adversity. When you

SERIOUS FUN

Manish Chawla manish@polymerscommunique.com

It’s now all about identifying

Dr. R. Vasudevan,

Dean ECA and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai

Printed and Published by

Under the Cover

RETROSPECTION

What’s There in a Name!!

Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai

Business Revival: How HR Analytics Can Help Businesses Thrive in the New Normal Dr. Naveen Malhotra, Senior HR Professional, Ahmedabad

BUSiNESsTOONS

Brushed -Up

Weekend Delights

Puzzzmania

107

RETRO

Events

108

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla, and printed at Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd., A-403, TTC Industrial Area, Near Anthony Motors, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709, District - Thane and published from 406, Vikas Centre, Dr. C. G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA. Editor: Manish Chawla. Domestic Subscription: Single Issue Price: Rs. 150; Annual Subscription: Rs. 1200 (including shipping) Overseas Subscription: Annual Subscription: USD 60 (including shipping)

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of POLYMERS Communiqué. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances and so POLYMERS Communiqué does not take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred or suffered by any of its subscribers / readers / advertisers of this magazine. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Subject to Mumbai Jurisdiction. Some of the images used in this issue are from Shutterstock. The maps, if used, in this document are only a pictorial representation, not to scale and do not indicate any geographical boundaries.

No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. POLYMERS Communiqué reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Mind Speak Arvind Mehta

Pushp Raj Singhvi

in prevailing adversities, for is immense. the polymer industry in India st when it Presuming that GoI is in its earne on China. proclaims its lesser dependence facturing India can concentrate on manu g our festive toys, including accessories. Durin rts. Another seasons, we have massive impo of artificial re factu manu is ty opportuni opportunity e ampl de provi will flowers. This reprocessed for employment and also use of ous foreign plastic material, while saving preci China for exchange. Our dependence on With the import of moulds and tools is high. can easily pool of our technical people, we minimise this dependence. plastics has The much-maligned image of pandemic. regained its rightful use during this

Opportunities,

N. K. Balgi

formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd.

Hygiene

requirements to fight COVID has brought back plastics as the most suited packaging material. Single-use plastics for products of common use and medical use are back in demand. Industry saw need for organised plastics waste recycling. Now it is an opportunity for the ‘Governme nt-IndustrySociety’ to demonstrate their commitment towards ‘Swachh Bharat’ by creating organised collection of plastics wast e. There is a consensus developin g across the globe to move away from Chin a for the materials of domestic and indus try needs. We Indians are additionally hurt by China’s attack on our territory and have developed resentment against use of Chin a produced consumer items to capital-goods. This has given boost to focus on the ‘Mak e in India’ programme. This gives opportuni ty to all of us to focus on improving the functionality, quality and productivity of our products to address global market needs, both in value and volumes!

Pushp Raj Singhvi

Arvind Mehta

Rajesh Nath

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

ging Director formerly Vice Chairman and Mana at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Plastic products are life saviours during COVID-19. Before lockdown, the guilt of being in the plastics business due to the debate of plastics v/s environm ental is now over once and for all. As regards waste management, littering has to be tackled by the assigned authorities and industry. EPR responsibility shou ld grow. Great demand for the packaging industry has cropped up. Today, lifestyle is well understood; healthcare, hom e food, normal clothing are basic need s, while rest is additional wants. Family bonding is more valued now. Genuine buye rs are here to stay. Finance crunch will redefine strategies. The plastics industry is bound to grow. Digital technology will have a big role to play. Reliance Industries is showing the path for future growth durin g such a pandemic, which adds strength to our thought-process. Rakesh Shah

formerly Managing Director Pvt. Ltd. at Windmöller and Hölscher India

calamity The world is reeling under the huge opportunities

caused by COVID-19. The er spread, are in prevention of its furth ort systems providing treatment and supp lost lives, to victims, safe handling of the ntive and and in finding permanent, preve ics industry, curative treatments. The plast maceutical phar the side along ular, partic in have big tries, indus logy chno biote and above the all in ibute contr to ties opportuni , masks, drug segments. The demand for PEPs life support delivery devices, diagnostic and body fluid systems, vials and containers for transfusion collection and transportation, r materials bottles and a huge array of othe conceivable every in ics plast ire requ ired, requ the biggest form. Plastics have emerged as rials. mate all g saviour amon

Rakesh Shah

N. K. Balgi

S. K. Ray

formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging

adversity is a well-known fact that any During ty. rtuni oppo n hidde a to would lead of the country this pandemic, the economy the industries, collapsed completely and all , are greatly including plastic packaging The businesses. their about concerned Prime Minister announcement by Hon’ble restricting usage about ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ for led to great itely defin has s good rted of impo tries to indus local for ties rtuni hidden oppo , automation expand with innovative techniques taining safety for high productivity, while main superior quality and strict hygiene to produce markets and to goods to meet demands of local explore exports.

Rajesh Nath

Managing Director German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office

Plastics industry is encashing the opportuni ty created by the COVID-19 adve rsity. Plastic has turned out to be an unlikely hero in the battle with corona virus. This product is used in the making of PPE kits. Single-use plastic, whic h was considered as an environmental hazard, has evolved itself as a saviour for doctors and health work ers. Till a few months ago, PPE need s in India were met by the imports from China; but since May, domestic production of PPE kits has been skyrocketing as the COVID cases. India is now No. 2 in the world producing over 4.5 lakh PPE suits daily and over 600 companies in the country are certified to manufacture PPE kits.

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

S. K. Ray

ent formerly Sr. Executive Vice Presid Ltd. (Polymers) at Reliance Industries

Humanity

today is on an arduous of journey. The double whammy has threat to lives and livelihood s. posed unprecedented challenge this Is there an opportunity in ps. otherwise gloomy scenario? Perha ative form trans An opportunity for and initiatives involving business few industry. The prevailing crisis has ion lessons for success - speedy ideat s team orked netw , ution exec and and replacing hierarchical structure oach smashing the bureaucratic appr an to decision making. Creating ging agile organisation to seize emer market opportunities, leveraging ledigital technology and peop re centric management would ensu the industry’s successful transition to ‘new normal’.

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* Terms and Conditions: Contest Period: 13th July, 2020 – 15th August, 2020 The promoter is: Custage Marketing Solutions LLP whose registered office is at 406, Vikas Center, Dr. C.G. Road, Chembur East, Mumbai – 400074. The competition is open to all except employees of Custage Marketing Solutions LLP and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition. There is no entry fee and the only requirement is to become a registered user of the POLYMERS Communiqué App. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. Route to entry for the competition is to download the app via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on or before 18th August, 2020. Winners will be chosen on a random basis. The promoter reserves the right to change/alter the gift in case of non‐availability or inability of the supplier or vendor to supply the same. The gift shall be replaced with another of an equivalent value. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for any reason. The decision of the promoter as regards the contest, its winner, and any change in its conditions is final and no queries or clarifications shall be entertained on the subject. The promoter reserves the right to revoke the contest for reasons beyond their control

Feedback POLYMERS Commu niqué is which pro an outs vides a p tanding latform fo into the magazin r business polymer e men to g industry latest tre ain insig . It provi nds and hts d e s in te fo chnolog rmation the rese ies in the on the arch re industry ports in . Additio understa the mag nally, nd the az in m e arket co help m allowed nditions e me to ta to better. p into po as it lets It has al tential m us conne so arkets an ct to the d opport people in Overall, unities the sam this is an e field. excellen people t busine involved ss magaz in the p strongly ine for olymer recomm the industry e n d this m and I w and upd agazine ould ated info fo r its wellrmation current m research about th arket en ed e indust vironme ry and nt. the Shailesh

Gold Fila

plant engineering and Systems is more into e the olefins plants, but also serv we build the entire poly plastics the to rds rega With plastics processor market. trends information on current processor market, we get magazine, r you ugh thro s new as well as customer POLYMERS Communiqué. is always s on ‘new markets’ which Also appreciate your focu k! wor d goo the up . Keep updated with information

Zeppelin

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Zeppelin Systems India Pvt.

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POLYMERS Comm uniqué is on e of the best publicatio ns in the polym er industry. It provides a sin gle compreh ensive source information ab of out the most important fac of polymers ets and it gives an up-to-date an thorough ex d planation of polymer busin analysis and, ess as such, will be of great intere to all those st engaged in this industry. you the very Wish best to cont inue publish such informat ing ive data effec tively.

e work appreciate th We heartily like to mmuniqué and its S Co of POLYMER appreciable ork is much w r ei Th . team ful. and so help

ara Jitendra Gad Ltd. ck India Pvt.

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As we are subs cribing this magazine for our client; so, we are gi ving our view on our clien t’s behalf...Our client is very satisfied with the content of the magazine. They find so many importa nt articles fo them in your r magazine, wh ich is helping them in their business. Impact Resear

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t astics marke aspects of pl e covers all erature, in lit az l ca ag ni m ch The hinery, te ing aterial, mac ts happen like raw m advancemen d an rs the ve ucts co od pr ly on w ne ry. It not on tics indust so touches in the plas nies, but al pa m co of en. The ts m en yem ke ev or hi ac promoters tion al likes of l as inspira the person ive as wel at rm fo in is e in az ag m eful. d it very us wal giving. I fin Shyam Agar Ltd. t. Pv s er m ly Karan Po

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POLYMERS Comm uniqué is pe rforming grea plastics frate t services to rnity by pu blishing vie the industry men ws and co tors and ad mments fro vis in m g suitability to persisting sit handle the uations as we present ll as to take the ‘New No a call on ho rmal’. This ha w to face s been a gr our industry eat moral bo connected en oster to all terprises, pr others who ar ofessionals e regular read as well as ers and followe r of your mag Manish Chaw azine. la ji, I wo ul d like to expr appreciate ess my than the efforts ks and been put looking forwar by you an d to a sustain d your team able industrial ; scenario. Prashant Triv

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ium communication Communiqué is India’s most prem and guide the ledge their know platform where visionaries share and respected ed rever A th. grow of e industry towards its next phas g of ‘trade ionin posit ned the publication, it has infact redefi try. indus er publications’ for the polym

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News Digest

Melatonin, Blue Light and PMMA (Acrylic) from J.P. Plaschem

green light and shifted the sleep-

What is Melatonin?

The

wake patterns / rhythms by twice as much.

Melatonin is a hormone in our body Coperion with its state-ofthe-art twin screw extrusion system supports RenCom in production of RENOL®, an innovative thermoplastic biomaterial that can be used to replace fossil-based plastics ELG Carbon Fibre and Aerocircular N.V. join forces to establish a closed-loop recycling scheme for end-of-life aircraft CFRP waste streams Evonik opens new technology centre for 3D printing in the USA

that plays a role in our natural sleep-

wake cycle. Natural levels of melatonin in the blood are highest at night which

helps to sleep naturally and helps the natural sleep-wake cycle.

light,

known

energy

also

high

visible

type of light with

short wavelengths

Head -

emitting a higher

Business,

wavelengths-

Ltd., Mumbai

beneficial during

International

energy.

Blue

J.P. Plaschem Pvt.

which

are

daylight

hours

because they boost attention, reaction Fraunhofer LBF develops dynamic plastics testing even at low temperatures

times, and mood- seem to be the most disruptive at night.

Glaves® launches trim cutters to cut and compress film side trims for making punched pellets

C-G

light

wavelengths

lighting, is increasing our exposure to blue light, especially after sundown. Most of the gadgets we use - mobile

phones, laptops, computer screens, tabs etc. emit blue light. It’s said that excessive

reducing both the quantity and quality

of one’s sleep. Studies link melatonin suppression in the evening to various health problems.

If one is working at night and using

a lot of electronic devices at night, wearing blue-blocking glasses / lens or using blue light cut screen filters on

the appliances is very important and highly recommended.

What is PMMA (Acrylic)? PMMA

(Acrylic)

(the

blue

applications

general

glass,

index,

conducted an experiment comparing

the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green

light of comparable brightness. The as

melatonin

long

very

medical

and

than

very

good

weatherability,

Harvard researchers and their colleagues

twice

sheets,

and

refractive PMMA

(Acrylic) is one of the best transparent

a result, one’s sleep cycle is affected.

about

automotive,

purpose,

transmittance

light)

suppressed

transparent

segments. Due to its light

shorter

than any other type of light. As

light

across

optical

melatonin in our body more

blue

thermoplastic polymer used in various

suppresses the production of

for

blue

with

screens, as well as energy-efficient

It’s reported that long exposure to

electronics

natural production of melatonin thus

(HEV) light, is a M. A. Balagopal

use of these gadgets suppresses the

What is Blue Light? Blue

advent

the

polymers to produce a variety of optical devices. Acrylic is used to produce lenses, glasses, screen filters etc. Special

PMMA grades now are also used to produce

eyewear

products

which

helps to cut / filter the bule light and reduce one’s exposure to the so-called blue light.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Making polypropylene better and faster with Hyperform® nucleating agent Specialty chemicals supplier Milliken & Co. highlights the benefits of using its nucleating agent to enhance the performance of polypropylene. Hyperform® HPN™ nucleating agent helps processors achieve faster production. Converters report 10-15% faster cycle times when replacing resins containing a conventional nucleating agent. Hyperform HPN has easy dispersion,which follows the trend for high melt flow rate, reactor-grade homo and impact copolymers. The additive also aids dimensional stability in the final part. Hyperform HPN nucleators achieve a balanced orientation of crystal structures in PP that is proven to improve stability and reduce the resin’s warpage/ anisotropic shrinkage behavior, even in demanding injection molding applications such as caps and closures, and for parts that operate in elevated-temperature environments. HPN nucleators can also be safely included

Productivity improvement of a dust pan with Hyperform HPN Adding Hyperform HPN to polypropylene increases the crystallization temperature and rate of crystallization, which combined with the isotropic shrinkage leads to processing benefits: reduced cooling and cycle times.

in PP used in food-contact, medical and pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, converters processing HPNmodified resin should experience less scrap, fewer defective parts, and overall higher-quality components. In short, Hyperform HPN nucleators enable PP converters to produce consistently higher-quality products at high speed. The additive allows for stronger, lighter parts by increasing stiffness by about 10% when compared to conventionally nucleated PP, while still retaining the same impact behavior as a non-nucleated resin. In today’s hyper-competitive market, you need to make the most of every available advantage. When it comes to processing polypropylene, Milliken can help you to do just that, while also offering technical support worldwide to resin producers, compounders and converters.

40,0 35,0

34,2

30,0

29,0

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Digest Hexcel additive manufacturing leads to lightweight complex components that enhance performance on GA-ASI UAV/RPA systems

Blend Colours Launches a New Range of Its Blend NIRBlack Masterbatch

lend

Colours

Pvt.

Ltd.

have

launched a new range of its

Blend are

NIR-Black

detectable

radiation.

They

masterbatch

with can

that

near-infrared

used

exchange traditional carbon black colourants. black

plastics

Currently

doesn’t by

allow

used

carbon

detection

computerised

near-

infrared sorting systems, thus making Italian full-service food packaging specialists, AMB, boosts market position with takeover of Germany’s PTS Packaging

Kraiburg TPE offers a range of Thermolast® K TPE compounds that can be applied in extreme sports equipment

them unsuitable for recycling. The

aim of this challenge was to provide a solution to allow black plastics

B&R Takes Intuitive Operation to a New Level B&R Industrial Automation Pvt. Ltd. (B&R) enables a unique new form of intuitive

operator guidance. Typical operating functions are now incorporated directly into the glass of B&R touch-screen panels. This eliminates the need for hardware switches and leaves no chance for dirt and grime to collect or enter the

device. The panels are, therefore, ideal for environments with the strictest hygienic requirements.

packaging to be sorted, recycled and

Upon customer request, B&R offers all

the planet.

touch screen with corresponding finger

reused. This is their contribution to

and size, enabling optimal integration of

Detectable on NIR sorting system.

Mechanical unaffected.

properties

remain

Compatible with PET, CPET, PP, HDPE, PS. Perfect

for

reduce,

recycling of plastics. NN

reuse

and

REACH, Food and RoHS complaint under ISO 9001:2015.

HMI variants with a projected capacitive guides. The guides can be of any shape

Blend NIR-Black Masterbatch Features

LANXESS offers easyflowing polyamides; they offer advantages that ultimately pay off in terms of processing, production costs and freedom of design

B&R Say Goodbye to Switches

Suitable for injection and blow moulding, thermoforming etc.

all types of sliders and dials in the HMI application. This opens up the entire screen surface for displaying content. B&R’s patented tactile finger guides allow eyes-off operation.

Ergonomic Finger Guides The

ergonomic

approximately

finger

one

guides

millimetre

are

deep

and can have a matt or clear finish. The integrated keys and rotary switches

never wear out. The panels are available

in sizes from 5” to 24” as either a display unit or panel PC.

Hygienic Design B&R panels with finger guides are

Lubrizol launches new UV and colour-stable TPU grade for hot melt adhesives in outdoor applications

H-L

Performance Attributes NN

Durability against extreme weather conditions.

High

strength

properties.

and

dispersion

B&R now incorporates typical operating functions directly into the glass of its touchscreen panels, replacing hardware elements such as function keys and rotary switches.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Together, Let’s Grow Our Roots Deeper. Together, Let’s Do Our Duty the Times Calls for. Together, Let’s Support Local! #ISupportLocal .

ideally suited for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical technology

Digest Plastix and Titan Bioplastics, USA team up to provide innovative sustainable recycled ‘Super Plastics’ with food-safe nano technology

Pretium Packaging, a manufacturer of plastic containers and closures, has made a $5 million dollar investment in PET expansion project

industries. In addition to the easy-to-

clean touch screen, the panels are also available with a joint-free stainless steel

housing that offers IP69K protection. Hygienic-design panels are constructed from highly resistant materials such

as smooth stainless steel, high-quality polyester overlays and special sealants.

Kandui Drives New Trends in Masterbatches

nnovation,

sustainability,

research

and the conservation of resources are

some of the key topics driving social and political debate right now - and justifiably so. In this context, the spotlight

has increasingly turned towards plastics and masterbatches.

Kandui is taking the lead in R&D of RadiciGroup presents Radilon® Mixloy, a new range of PA that blends innovative solutions for automotive, consumer goods and E&E

masterbatch manufacturing that drives innovation

and

cost-effective

next-

generation methods. Kandui Industries has been actively investing in research and

development

activities

since

its establishment in 2006. Through collaboration

with

world’s

leading

experts, Kandui’s research focuses on

developing cutting-edge masterbatch Reifenhäuser Middle East & Africa and BUSS formed a new strategic partnership in the marketing of the compounding technology in UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar

solutions for the entire plastics and textiles industry.

“The current pandemic has further

sparked a wave of innovation even

the Department of Scientific & Industrial

Research, Government of India. Kandui

is a member of the prestigious Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

UFlex and IIT-Delhi Develop Flex Protect Coverall With Anti-microbial Coating

ince the outbreak of COVID-19, the

frontline workers have been wearing

PPE kits as the weapon to safeguard themselves from getting infected. The

PPE coverall currently worn is made up

of thick fabric causing a lot of discomfort of breathing during longer wearing. It

also provides only a certain degree of protection from the virus that could enter through the stitches and openings. In a quest to find a solution to facilitate

comfortable use of PPE coverall, UFlex Ltd. has developed ‘Flex Protect’ coverall in joint collaboration with IIT-Delhi and

amongst a number of our customers and associates. One such customer has

used Kandui’s breathable compound films to develop a unique PPE coat made

from non-woven fabrics and breathable SACMI acquires Pack Sud to strengthen its primary packaging position

P-S

film that allows the heat to escape

seamlessly and the doctors to stay cool.

This development is part of Kandui’s consistent strategy to offer innovative solutions

and

further

strengthen

our unique product portfolio,” says Ashwin Agarwal, Managing Director, Kandui Industries.

Kandui is certified with the prestigious

ISO 9001:2015 certificate by TUV. The company’s R&D facility is recognised by

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Quality in its purest form. With passion, we develop future-oriented inspection and sorting devices for the quality assurance of plastic pellets, such as the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED. – Online inspection and automatic sorting for pellets of any kind – Detection of metallic and organic contamination as well as cross contamination as small as 50 μm on the surface and inside the pellet – Professional Data Analysis Management (PDAM) for statistics, visualization and data logging

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

www.sikora.net/purityscanner

is approved by DRDO. ‘Flex Protect’ is an answer to these shortcomings and

Digest SK Capital announces agreement to acquire the speciality polymers business from Baker Hughes

comes with the advantage of better

breathability and anti-microbial coating, giving

complete

protection

against

corona virus to our frontline workers. It allows 30% better breathability and

confirms to ISO 16603 standards. ‘Flex Protect’ coverall enhances the safety of

the health workers by upto 100%, as

the fabric is coated with anti-microbial properties, certified by South Indian Textiles Research Association (SITRA).

Technimark acquires European injection moulder, Tool & Plastic Industries Ltd., expanding global manufacturing platform and healthcare focus

S-T

Nordson BKG Melt Filtration Solutions

In the melt blowing process, extruded

polymer passes through small holes in a nozzle surrounded by high-speed

blowing gas, producing the randomly

oriented microfibres that make up a non-woven sheet. The BKG melt delivery

components are deployed between the

its maximum level of performance.

the process to operate efficiently, and

ordson is your trusted partner when

it comes to engineered solutions

that take your non-woven application to In these challenging times, Nordson BKG® gear pumps and screen changers help

producers

polypropylene

melt

microfibre

blown

sheet

meet the urgent market demands

extruder and the melt-blowing tool. A gear pump provides the uniform melt flow and pressure required for

with uniformly high-quality product. A screen-changer filters out impurities to protect the dispense tool and yield the clean product required in medical applications.

for masks, gowns and other personal

BKG filtration solutions allow you to

healthcare workers.

products without compromises.

protective equipment (PPE) used by

produce

reliable,

high-quality

end

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POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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mixedremoval plastics • mixed gentle plastics of thermoplastic materials and •mixed extended lifetime of tools and filter parts plastics • extended lifetime of tools and filter parts • environmental safety, TÜV-certificate extended lifetime of tools and filter parts • environmental safety, TÜV-certificate • easy handling and highest reliability environmental safety, TÜV-certificate • easy handling and highest reliability • low-maintenance, oil lubricated vacuum pump easy handling and oil highest reliability • low-maintenance, lubricated vacuum pump • no process water necessary low-maintenance, lubricated vacuum pump • no process water oil necessary • no emissions because of activated carbon filter process water necessary • no emissions because of activated carbon filter • no emissions because of activated carbon filter

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GUIDING LIGHT #Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics #Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Business Beyond

COVID-19

As a leadership publication, POLYMERS Communiqué stands up to demands of

time. Business, the lifeline of economy, will also see enormous change as all our

lives would. By bringing expert opinions to the fore, and more, we try and capture #Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics. Together we can!

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

An Initiative Supported By

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

ith COVID-19, it’s been a challenge of another kind. To deal with this challenge means to adopt to the new

normal that continues to evolve literally on a daily basis.

The rules of the game are thus going to change. I feel it is time

for Business 2.0. We have to adorn a new avatar...the thinking,

the strategy, the implementation will all have to be unlearned and relearned.

Relationships, credibility, trustworthiness, customer orientation, ethics to me are going to play a larger role than specifications, price and delivery. From

Henceforth,

being

suppliers,

customers they

will

would

evaluate

need

vendors

differently.

repositioned

success enablers. So, the paradigm ‘perform or perish’ will change, temporarily though, to ‘adapt or perish’!

Yes, each one of us is battered and bruised; but I seriously think that each

one of us will come out wiser and more capable to address challenges.

We will now realise better how to respect each other, count our blessings, add meaning to business, revere nature and savour success. Will

regards

difficult...yes

labour,

finance,

will!

logistics,

Will

the

demand

ground

worse

realities than

what

most think...yes it will! Will it take much longer for things to settle down...yes

will!

Are

capable

handle

this...yes

Is India well poised to bounce back quicker...yes we are!

are!

We all have taken a few steps back...but doesn’t going back help you with a better leap forward. That’s what we are getting towards...leaping into 2021. We would be capable of doing this because 2020 challenged us not to expose our weakness only, but to realise our strengths as well.

Even if we have to be at home for the next few weeks...it’s just fine! We all have it in us

to take challenges in our stride. Until then...

stay home and safe. You mean a lot to a lot of people!

Manish Chawla

Publisher, POLYMERS Communiqué, Mumbai Manish Chawla

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Mahendra Patel

Chairman, Mamata Group, Ahmedabad

OVID-19 has highlighted ‘healthcare usefulness’ of plastics in sharp relief,

while underlining the irresponsible disposal of masks etc. We should press

for Swachh Bharat campaign to include responsible and segregated disposal of

all waste. India is poor in many natural resources. Recycling is essential to make available many raw materials, not alone plastics. This is the essence of circular

economy. We should leverage knowledge and skills of our artisans to make products from recycled materials. This is also a step for being ‘aatmanirbhar’!

Professor (Dr.) Ganapati D. Yadav

Mahendra Patel

Emeritus Professor of Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI) Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

uring this lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and henceforth, we will have to change our lifestyle and there will be a new normal. The

importance of polymers and plastics industry will be more evident since we want to be protected from all viruses, bacteria and unknown microscopic creatures and bugs which are going to be a huge problem for the society at large.

We need plastics now more than ever before to remain safe; masks,

medicines, sanitisers, food products, water, and what not. Plastics is a saviour. Plastics, for the public it may be polythene bags, in the wider sense of the

term have been part and parcel of our lives at least for the past 60 - 70 years. You cannot imagine a world without plastics. Plastics ban was such a policy decision which did not solve the problem totally. What is the substitute for plastics and at what cost, and at what convenience of use? The solution in terms

of paper or glass is to assume that you throw it after use and it will not cause

pollution. Short sightedness! I think the ban on single-use plastic (SUP) was a

knee-jerk reaction without finding an alternate economically viable and easily

adoptable material. Ban is never as a good idea. Because ban leads to all sorts of

Prof. (Dr.) G. D. Yadav

social problems. It is true we have to reduce waste; be it plastics, metal or

debris, a long-term solution is needed. Better technology is the only solution. Better methods of collection of waste at source and segregation, recycle, reuse, depolymerisation, mixing with bitumen for road making and the list

is long. The Government of Maharashtra last year even banned non-woven polypropylene bags which are 100% recyclable. PP is used for face masks, surgical masks N95 and hazmat dresses. Now they are importing from abroad,

for instance, China. Ban on SUP should be lifted temporarily to deal with the grave health crisis India is facing and the protocol for such waste disposal must be in place. Those who collect and dispose such waste need to be protected.

Our life has changed forever due to corona. Everybody will use sanitisers, face masks, apart from other gadgets and medicines; in other words, chemicals in one form or the other. In fact, this pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of all these related industries. Indeed, there is a confluence of chemical

sciences and engineering with biological sciences and engineering whether you

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

want to develop therapeutics or vaccines, use biocides, masks and practice social distancing. The technologies related to producing advanced materials and polymers, clean energy generation and storage, medicines, high-end drugs, nutraceuticals, food products, fertilizers, agrochemicals, surface coating materials,

dyes, colourants, pigments, adhesives, textiles, fibres, oleochemicals, surfactants, lubricants,

water

treatment

and

purification,

air

pollution

abatement,

bio-processing, downstream processing and a myriad of related issues involve high degree of science and engineering related to chemicals and materials. There is not a single man-made item which does not use chemicals.

I believe the Government of India should declare these industries as essential, not just pharmaceuticals and healthcare. They should never be part of any future lockdown since there is a huge supply chain wherein product of one industry is

consumed by the next which may end up in a polymer, pesticide, biocide, mask or disinfectant or a drug. 70% of industrial chemicals are used to make some

other chemicals and materials and are never sold off the shelf in general market. The general public does not know it. Because of ban on Chinese imports, the

chemical and allied industry, whether intermediates, API, drugs, agrochemicals and the like will have great future. Of course, the processes and products must

be manufactured by using green chemistry and engineering; plants must be safer and smarter. I am sure the Indian industries will rise to the occasion.

Arvind M. Mehta

Chairman and Managing Director, Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

hatever has happened due to Corona has never happened in the

living memory of mankind. The economy of the world has witnessed

enormous damage, and the plastics industry is no exception.

The biggest gain for the plastics industry in this scenario is that without

spending resources, plastics will be seen as a ‘saviour of mankind’, than a

villain in public eyes. This is primarily due to the services that plastics offered by

helping create products such as masks, gloves, medical gowns, and infact, the list is

Arvind M. Mehta

endless. So, the point of banning ‘single-use plastics’ is not logical. Waste

management and littering control is the right solution, and which the industry supports the authorities.

Medical plastics will grow leaps and bounds, and affordable housings will also witness unseen growth. Pipes and electricals could be growth areas for plastics as well. Use of plastics in sanitation is today evident globally!

Work from home will now be accepted across all sections of society; internet, IT hardware and software - industry would be big beneficiaries. Work from home will also be a great boon for women who have a double duty to perform.

The current scenario also throws open tremendous opportunities for India as a country. If we take advantage of this, India can become a dominant player in

the global markets. We also should get export incentives comparable to China (9 - 14%); currently, we get about 2 - 2.5% through the MEIS scheme.

The Indian plastics industry has the will power, technology management and

skilled workforce to make it happen. So friends, I am very optimistic as regards the growth of the plastics industry after July, 2020.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Ashish Baheti

Managing Director, Vectus Industries Ltd., Noida

s of now, the plastics industry is facing a huge challenge because of COVID

crisis. But at the same time, deep in our hearts, we all know that COVID

would soon be conquered by humans!

Depending on the ‘attitude’ they take today, there would be 3 categories of companies in the near future: NN

Those who will not be able to make it.

Those who will just manage to survive.

Those who will grow and thrive.

We, at Vectus, are determined to be in the third category. Ashish Baheti

So, my dear business leaders, “What are your plans?”

Dr. R. Vasudevan

Dean ECA and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai

am neither a plastics manufacturer, nor a dealer in plastics material. I am a researcher and, more than that, I am a well-wisher to the country that gives

me all that is needed by me.

I always feel that plastics is poor man’s need and a friend of all. It is God’s

gift and is a great discovery of the 21st century. It started its life 75 years ago and today it rules man and material. The problem with plastics is not due to

plastics, but it is due to the careless disposal of the used plastics. By grace of

the Lord, a solution has been developed and today, plastics waste is used in

road laying. This technology has been given coding by IRC and subsequently,

the Central Government also released a notification. Now the process has come

into operation, yet it is very slow. India has 46 lakh kms of road and only 1 lakh km

has been converted into plastic tar road. Why is it slow? The road’s life is not less Dr. R. Vasudevan

than 12 years with no pot holes and cracks and each km consumes 1 tonne plastics waste and the process is eco-friendly with lesser cost. Various types of

plastic film packing materials, like mono-layer, multi-layer or metallised multi-layer find use here. Then what is the problem and where is the problem?

To site an example, I wish to make a small comparison with COVID-19 which just entered the world arena and has spread all over the world within just 3 months. Many measures were undertaken to face the pandemic - lockdown was implemented, people were put under house arrest, industries were closed,

all transportation facilities were cancelled, people were asked to wear face masks, gown for doctors, and health workers etc. People took it seriously and

are following it very well. Presently, plastics waste is not managed properly

and the problems are also somewhat similar. Why is this not viewed seriously? I would urge plastic manufactures to take this message to the consumers and all the concerned people. They need to come out and work for creating

awareness about garbage culture and the technology available to dispose plastics waste. In fact, there is no problem in the reuse of plastics waste and it has all the approvals.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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Lohia Corp Limited D-3/A, Panki Industrial Estate, Kanpur-208022, INDIA.

T : +91 512 3045100

E: sales@lohiagroup.com

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Today, COVID-19 is haunting the world. Yet, the plastic manufacturers, mainly packing materials, have a renewed life. It is God’s gift. Also, the need of plastic products like face mask, gloves, gown and PPE are on the rise.

Plastic materials are helpful in preventing the spreading of the pandemic in many

respects, especially for doctors and health workers. Plastic has reemphasised its

usefulness. At the same time, as our garbage culture is very poor and because of

our indiscriminate disposal habits, more of plastics waste is going to be on the roads. This is right time to create awareness about the garbage culture, and the technology which are very useful for easy disposal of plastics waste (plastic tar

road, plastone). The big question is - who can do it and who has to do it? I

feel that the plastic manufactures in co-ordination with their association bodies should come forward to spread the message effectively. Moreover, I have some more suggestions to the industry... NN

Come forward to support any research in the development of the 3 ‘R’s.

Help research to promote biodegradable plastics.

Think of using multi-layer only when it is really needed.

Promote multi packet system instead of multi-layer system. This will help to

separate different packets (plastics) which can be subsequently reused or recycled. This is how we can promote circular economy. I feel this may be a new technology of packing also.

Let us all put our minds together to work for a better living, for a better India. Jai Hind!

Geet Chadha

Director, Soltex Petroproducts Ltd., Mumbai

rosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it. - William Hazlitt

The current business environment gives each one of us entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to re-think and course-correct; providing us an opportunity to re-imagine every business function and activity that can be improvised upon.

While the business environment will undoubtedly get much more challenging

than ever before, the new era would also give businesses and industries an

opportunity to consolidate, co-operate and re-build products for a newer future.

The new trend involving remote working that has emerged will need to be Geet Chadha

tested over a long period of time and require rapid improvisation for them to set in successfully.

While we all pave the path to step into the new normal, we shall be constantly challenged along the way. Hence, staying resilient and grounded with a razor-sharp focus on evolving with time will help us all keep going.

The current times call for reflection on the great milestones we achieved along

the way. We must appreciate ourselves for the employment we have generated so far, endeavour that we continue to enrich our lives and million others in the decade that lies ahead.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Manish Mehta

Managing Director, Reifenhauser India Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

hile varied predictions are being made about the post COVID-19 world, it can act as a wake-up call for all of us, as individuals, as a society and as

a country. Life after COVID-19 will not - and should not - be the same. It will call for a change in priorities, in focus and in the way we do things.

Plastic was much demonised earlier. However, plastic has proved to be an important constituent in helping overcome this challenge and save lives, be

it its application in healthcare or its use in packaging that is necessary to

keep food and medicines packed safely and hygienically to make it available

daily to the masses. As always, plastic has protective and hygienical properties

and can be a boon if the 3‘R’s of circular economy are managed well. Manish Mehta

The overall impact of the pandemic on our business can be ascertained based on

how fast we are able to contain its spread and return to normalcy. Post lockdown, companies need to implement proper and strong support systems overall as

this is the real test. Times are tough and businesses that are built on strong foundation can endure this phase. Each step will matter, each penny spent will matter, each resource will matter. Last, but not the least, while we are in

lockdown, we need to have our marketing and business strategies directly aligned

to our business goals. Till then, maintain hygiene at home and workplaces, follow

travel advisories issued by the authorities and seek medical attention at the right time to stay safe!

Jayen J. Modi

Managing Director, Baerlocher India Additives Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

f we turn to any dictionary for meaning of the word ‘crisis’, we will see any of these explanations:

‘A turning point for better or worse.’ and ‘A time of great disagreement, confusion, danger or suffering.’

The thing, that the definitions have in common, is that these are times when

problems must be solved or important decisions must be made. Most crisis -

even if anticipated - don’t give us the luxury of time to solve these problems Jayen J. Modi

or analyse too much before we can decide. For instance, the current

COVID-19 crisis (atleast outside of China) as well as the financial crisis of

2008 were not completely unexpected, but the way in which a crisis unfolds is always sudden.

The decision-making process in turn is governed by a combination of

our knowledge and our values. Knowledge is ever-changing and must be constantly updated; while values are our roots and determine who we are. For

instance, India’s early lockdown decision is a combination of our knowledge that early containment means less casualty and our values which put human life above economic priorities.

So basically, how we decide under uncertainty, ambiguity and stress, determines the outcome of any crisis.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

TM TM TM

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Lifeline Technologies

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

I believe, our entrepreneurs and businessmen are extremely resilient; they

know uncertainty and ambiguity like none other and have overcome several hardships and failures on their path to success. While it is absolutely normal

to be worried by all the potential impacts of COVID-19, we must allow our decisions to be governed by hope rather than fear.

This crisis will bring about change - perhaps transformative change - not only in various aspects of business, but life itself. We must be open to

this; but in this process, we must still allow our values to govern the decision-making process.

I am confident we will only emerge stronger!

J. N. Bhat

Managing Director, Shini Plastic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd., Pune

he pandemic has thrown a burgeoning crisis for the global economy, financial system and the industry. While the whole world is trying to peer

through the uncertainty due to lengthy lockdown, decline in GDP, size of

unemployment, and falling business confidence, the industry is trying to

find its way through near-term survival.

Restarting the operations post such a severe shutdown is highly challenging.

Industries will face extreme challenges of reuniting workforce, managing cash J. N. Bhat

flows and reactivating supply chain. In the event of extreme cases, rehiring new

workforce, training and attaining previous level of productivity is going to be a daunting task.

Hence, the lockdown period should be used effectively by managers and business

leaders to reassess the whole business system and plan for all sorts of contingencies, which will enable them to return to their business activities quickly and effectively. The

unimaginable

magnitude

crisis

has

exposed

not

only

vulnerability, but also to mountains of opportunity to improve our scale of performance and operation. The industry shall very soon encounter a huge shift

preferences

institutions.

Shift

and

online

expectations

transactions,

from

consumers,

world

employees

contactless

and

commerce

and deglobalisation may become the most preferred way of doing business. Work from home, which was thought to be a bad idea until now, will

suddenly find approval as the most cost-effective way of managing business. Thus, the challenge faced by our industry post COVID-19 is to adapt quickly

to changing preferences and refocus on its strategy towards use of technology and automation at every level. As a solution provider, we at Shini foresee a huge surge in demand for technological and automation solutions which

will help our customers in meeting their challenges very effectively. India,

a possible manufacturing hub as an alternate to China, unfolds a possibility of huge investment coming into our country. This will again lead to surge in demand for our equipment, machinery and automation solution.

While no one can predict how long the crisis will last, one thing is pretty sure, the ‘new normal’ will be lot different than the past.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

An Initiative Supported By

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

Manfred Hackl

CEO, EREMA Group GmbH, Austria

he corona pandemic has taught us that as a society and in industry, we have to take more responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

We have to think carefully about driving progress and growth in the future: at what price and with what goal. At the same time, it has also highlighted

the advantages of plastic as a packaging material and increased awareness of the importance of this material, especially in medical technology. The industry has demonstrated its flexibility and solution-driven capabilities,

among

other

things,

switching

the

production

personal

protective equipment at short notice. Both characteristics are necessary to

continue promoting the recycling of plastics together. And this must continue

to be our goal! Enhanced awareness of this material’s importance brings Manfred Hackl

us closer to a circular economy for plastics by encouraging a rational discussion of the facts.

Aalekh Jain

Director, APPL Industries Ltd., Pune

see more opportunities than adversities. I would take more positives that this COVID brings.

We will see more local products going global than vice versa. It’s a

great opportunity for India to grow and reach markets which we have never explored before.

The future belongs to India, especially automotive and plastics industry.

Social distancing is going to change how we travel. We are going to see

more personal vehicles on the road and people are going to adapt

to this change very quickly. Adding to this, the government’s push to increase

infrastructure of rural and urban roads is also going to help the industry. Aalekh Jain

We Indians have seen many financial crises and risen to the occasion and

shown the world that opportunities are always available to grab even during crises of this proportion.

Varun Gupta

Director, Calco Poly Technik Pvt. Ltd., Sonepat

uman race is known to be resilient and have proven time and again, they come out stronger and fierce post calamity.

How many of us wanted to sit at home and introspect on our business

activities and roadmap forward, but never had the time to do it?

How many of us wanted to maintain a lean workforce and leaner operations? How many of us wanted to be vocal for indigenous consumption? How many of us wanted to be as competitive globally as China? We all must turn these queries into opportunities. Varun Gupta

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Remember: When life throws lemons at you, turn them into lemonades!

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Makarand Dixit

Senior Advisor Marketing - Petrochemicals, Nayara Energy Ltd., Mumbai

his is an unprecedented situation, probably couple of people must have seen or faced.

In the pre COVID situation, the economy though not at the best of health, was still sailing smoothly with GDP growing @ 5 - 6% and petrochemicals growing @ 7 - 8%.

Comes COVID, and the whole world is surrounded by uncertainty. I feel

demand of many petrochemical products will be adversely affected, at

least till the end of 2021. The demand loss may be as high as 20% in some

of the sectors. The demand dynamics will become more regional and

sustainability / survival goals will become more important. Various industry Makarand Dixit

segments will be impacted differently based on end sector application. Automobiles, appliances, textiles and infrastructure will be worst affected, while packaging may provide the silver lining to otherwise dark clouds.

Yet, Indian stories have been optimistic and proved successful in the past, mainly on account internal consumption and economic stimulus provided by

the Government. We need some more time to predict the effect of this stimulus. Amidst all this uncertainty, I feel that India may bounce back in 2 - 3

quarters depending upon the impact of the economic stimulus, significant

economic policy reforms, global supply chain rebalancing and consecutive good monsoons.

But one thing is for sure; post COVID, the lifestyles and the way we do business will undergo complete transformation. Stay safe...take care.

Mahinder Singh

Secretary General, Chemicals & Petrochemicals Manufacturers’ Association (CPMA), New Delhi

he current crisis caused by corona virus pandemic is unprecedented and unforeseen until a few months back; today it has spread all across the globe.

It exposed the unpreparedness of the system and infrastructure resulting in

over 12 million cases of affected people and over 0.55 million deaths. As a

percentage to the population, the mortality seen is quite low.

We have today witnessed use of products made out of chemical and

petrochemical products immensely in sectors namely safety, hygiene, medical, Mahinder Singh

packaging etc. In fact, these products virtually became the warriors in the front line.

As soon as the intensity of COVID-19 declines, together with the availability

of vaccines and medicines over a period of months, we will see that life will be back to normal and kicking.

Hence, there would be a strong rebound of the economy in short- to

medium-term and would see the demand once again surging to its normal

pace, rather registering similar if not more growth as seen in the pre COVID-19 period taking advantage of the experience of the COVID-19 period.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Tushar Parikh

Director, Neoplast Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

he whole world is under adverse effect of COVID-19. The domestic industry could face the following challenges immediately once lockdown is

called off:

How to make payments - first to all employees, then to vendors, then to

the Government for taxes and thereafter to for meeting fixed expenses like electricity, phone, water charges, rent etc.

To make industries sustainable against all these, the GoI has to

take multiple actions. Apart from this, as an industry, we ourselves

have to make our own short-term as well as long-term plans to survive.

It looks like that the situation will be back to normal not before

6 to 8 months. I suggest, let us not wait for too many assistances to come Tushar Parikh

our way, but make strong efforts to smartly manage our own finance and human capital.

Sribash Dasmohapatra

Executive Director, The Plastics Export Promotion Council, Mumbai

our

macro

level,

India

has

immense

global

potential

already a favoured destination for foreign investments considering stable

resources.

economy,

This

cheaper

especially

labour

magnified

and

now.

availability While

larger

enormous

processors

can benefit from FDIs in manufacturing; the MSME sector, in the long run,

will

also

stand

gain.

With

the

Technology

Upgradation

Fund Scheme, MEIS / RoDTEP, MAI etc., the MSME sector can look

forward to boosting capacities and capabilities to meet the larger

global demands.

Sribash Dasmohapatra

It’s our country, let’s keep it clean!

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

BEING COMPETITIVE

Clean Bowled by

Irfan Pathan “If you keep on having a winning streak, you

will never realise what it is to lose; on the other hand, if you win after losing, your happiness is double. In sports, we believe that the learning

after losing is far more than the learning after a victory,” believes Irfan Pathan, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Irfan Pathan, the seasoned all-rounder of Indian cricket.

Prelude ‘Clean Bowled’ is a new insight that POLYMERS Communiqué brings to you, with the seasoned all-rounder of Indian cricket Irfan Pathan, a strong-willed person, speaking about how to perfectly adapt techniques used in sports and align it in the

corporate world. His experience and expertise will definitely

widen our spectrum of knowledge and make us put on our thinking caps so as to fathom how we can use these strategies to address each of our distinctive needs. Trust me, his ideas and analogies will leave you ‘Clean Bowled’!

Penned down by Siddhant, Assistant Editor, POLYMERS Communiqué

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Q. What according to you is the true spirit of competition?

even in cricket, new cricketers come up every year. New skills and techniques also emerge; for

The true spirit of competition is winning. Play with

example, the Helicopter Shot, Lap Shot, Dilscoop,

the competition, you have to believe that you are

those players who tried to master new skills and

do the task, but I can do it better than the rest.

the others got left behind. That’s why it is important

the time you have this mindset, you will continue

and the company as a whole.

all your heart and honesty. Till the time you are in

Reverse Sweep - these shots didn’t exist earlier. All

better. Your thought should be that everyone can

techniques became better and better at the game;

This is the biggest belief of true competition. Till

to improvise at all levels; as an individual, team

to be within the true spirit of competition. The fallacy is when you start thinking that others have no chance and I will be the only one to win.

Everybody has weaknesses and no sportsman

is perfect. I have also been one who has made mistakes. Connecting with cricket; every batsman

has some weakness, even if he is considered to be the greatest batsman in the world; so, a bowler will yet have to make plans on how to tackle him

and know how to increase the chance of taking his

wicket. One cannot be over-confident, he has to be planned.

You’re not supposed to get scared. No matter who

is your competition. For me, whether it’s Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers or even Chris Gayle; whoever comes, you have to compete and try and be better than them and think like, “He can also win, I can also

win; but I will be the one who will win; anyone can beat him, but I will show how it’s done.” This is what I personally feel is very important and the best competitive spirit what one can have.

I would also like to add that it is very important

to respect competition and not underestimate or

Q. An incident (on field or off field) that changed you and had a drastic impact on you with respect to competition? There is one incident in particular, when I was playing U-16 for Baroda (now Vadodara). At that

time, I used to play without a helmet. It was a

national level competition and I was representing Baroda. That match was against Mumbai. I tried to execute a pull shot, but I got hit by the bouncer,

and my mouth started bleeding. Everyone around

me started laughing. I went off field and my coach came to me and said, “What kind of a Pathan

are you? A bled a little and you came off field?” I replied, “I will go as soon as the next wicket

falls; if there was no such rule, I would have gone now itself.”

In that particular match, I was the highest scorer

and my play had made us victorious. I had scored 74 runs. That same evening, I got 12 stitches on my face. But this is not important. The next day,

the lesson I learnt was the biggest regarding competition and admitting to one’s mistakes. After

the 2nd day’s play, I went to meet my personal

undermine it. Reason being that you shouldn’t be

coach, Mehndi Shaikh Bashir, he was the coach

world, if you stop improvising, you will go in the

playing cricket. It was our daily routine that after

left behind. Even if you are the best company in the reverse gear. Every year new technologies emerge;

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

at Baroda Sports Club, the place where I started every match, we used to go to him, discuss about

the match, get tips on how to improvise, and how

something, I will definitely do it and won’t give

That time we considered ourselves superstars,

happening; but, from my side, excuses will

to improve our mistakes and only then go home.

going to the club after this victory. My coach greeted everyone. I was surprised that he didn’t

give any sort of appreciation to me regarding playing well and making the team win even after

the stitches. He asked the team, in general, and me, in specific, how I got out. I started off answering that I felt pain because of the stitches

etc...to my utter dismay, he interrupted me and

scolded me in front of everybody, “What question did I ask?” my coach repeated. I replied that I got out while trying to play a gully shot.

After everyone left, I was yet standing there with my brother and my coach, I yet very vividly remember that we were walking in the dark, it

was about a 100 mtrs walk, Coach Sir put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Both you brothers are capable of playing for India; but remember

any excuses. Winning and losing will keep on not happen. This is one incident which I will never forget.

Q. Especially at the international level, cricket games are like war and the preparations are also such; and, in that war environment, you play and compete. With the very same people, post the match, all of you are friends and enjoy together. How do you so smoothly transition from foes to friends and again to foes the next day? First of all, you have to respect your opponent. It doesn’t matter if he is from South Africa, Australia

or England. They are all a part of the same

cricketing community and all are bread earners of their house. Secondly, each one of us are representing our respective nations.

one thing, never give excuses. Learn and improve

This is valid even in the corporate circle, on

nowhere.” Even today, if the team asks me to do

company in the world, at the end of the day, you

from

your

mistakes.

Excuses

will

take

you

an international scale; even if you’re the best are representing your country. In the corporate circle, I guess, the feeling of representing the

Even today, if the team asks me to do something, I will definitely do it and won’t give any excuses. Winning and losing will keep on happening; but, from my side, excuses will not happen. This is one incident which I will never forget.

country would go off and you would see others as a competitor off field too. That particular feeling and pride of representing the country is always

present in a cricketer and follow a policy of ‘give respect to earn respect’.

Thirdly, since we respect our opponent, and are

friends off field, we come to know the thought process of that particular person which ends up

benefitting me and helps me improve myself. So,

for example, if there is a cricketer whom I am not able to beat or I am not playing well against; if I sit with him off field and try to understand his thought process, behaviour, style; I get to learn a

lot. Let me give you an example, I played against Brett Lee in a series in Australia; Australia had won the series, I went up to him in his dressing room...

we were discussing about our bowling actions and he was giving me tips as to how to improve. Such an openness gives out a healthy competition

and gives you the opportunity to learn a lot and grow together.

Anyone for that matter who is willing and open

to learning, will always give the other person respect, no matter who that person is. If such is

the case, there will be healthy competitiveness

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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and

off

field,

and humble.

they

will

always

friendly

Especially in sports, there are a lot of wins and

losses; overall, there are more losses than wins.

For this very reason, sportsmen are generally more humble and down to earth. We are very well

Every year new technologies

emerge; even

in cricket, new

cricketers come up every year.

New skills and

aware of the fact that no two days are going to be the same. This is valid even in the corporate sector;

today your company may be #1 and tomorrow it

they are best equipped to do so as a team. This is our basic definition of team spirit. There are certain

guidelines

set;

every

player’s

responsibility to adhere to those guidelines and not go astray and respect each other’s space. Another point to be noted is that, the space which

the team has given you as your responsibility,

the onus is completely on you to improve your skills and maximise that space.

might not be so. Also, we are firm believers that

I’m sure in the corporate circle too there are

a loss, is not comparable to anything else. If you

come together to form a bigger department. If

the amount of joy what you get by winning, post keep on having a winning streak, you will never realise what it is to lose; on the other hand, if

you win after losing, your happiness is double. In

different departments, many departments might

every department does its best to improvise, have

a healthy competition and maximise the space

of responsibility that they have been assigned; then I am sure there is no stopping that company

techniques

sports, we believe that the learning after losing is

for example,

A cricketer, for instance, if he has had a fantastic

Even in cricket, if everyone does their role to

all time, if he has played 100 matches, he has not

into it; with the kind of synergy that develops,

also emerge; the Helicopter

Shot, Lap Shot,

Dilscoop, Reverse Sweep - these shots didn’t

exist earlier. All those players who tried to

master new skills and techniques became better

and better at the

game; the others got left behind. That’s why it is important to improvise at

all levels; as an

individual, team

and the company as a whole.

far more than the learning after a victory.

career and is considered the greatest cricketer of scored a hundred centuries. He probably would have scored 20 centuries and 30 half centuries.

But even then, if you see, his success ratio is about 50%. Even with such a career, you are considered

a legend. We constantly look at our failures, and we know that if we fail today, we would get success tomorrow and if we succeed today, there

is no guarantee of the same tomorrow. So, we have to strive and put effort for each and every day and we constantly have to be at it because competition keeps on increasing.

Q. Companies talk a lot about team spirit and collaborative work; again, sports being the best example of team spirit...what according to you, companies should learn from sports regarding team spirit? So, if you look at the structure of our team; we

comprise of 1 captain, 1 wicket keeper, 3 - 5

the best, putting in their heart mind and soul

it is very difficult to break that mechanism and momentum.

Another thing I would like to highlight...in cricket,

assume there is a fielder standing in the 1st, 2nd

and 3rd slip position and when the 3rd slip fielder

tries to catch the ball, the other two fielders in the slip shouldn’t get relaxed or get at ease assuming the ball will not come to them. They have to stay alert till that ball is not completely over. What if the fielder at the 3rd slip fumbles and the ball comes

towards the fielder on the 1st slip? If the latter

is not alert, he’ll fail to catch the ball. So, till the time where that particular ball’s play is not over,

everyone has to be alert even if the chance of the ball coming to them is negligible. Through this act,

you are respecting your team, your team spirit and the game. Moreover, it is also a sign that you are doing your part for the team properly.

batsman, some all-rounders and some bowlers.

In many instances you may have seen that with

executes their role in their own unique way.

the ball back in the play area and the other catches

Everyone knows their role for the team. Everyone

Example, if some bowler is comfortable in

bowling with a new ball, he’ll do that and likewise for the old ball. If someone’s role is to bowl yorker primarily, he will practise that again and

again till he perfects his responsibility. All players do this for their various responsibilities.

So, on the D-Day, when the team / country

requires them to deliver their responsibility,

from being #1.

2 fielders at a boundary line...one jumps and puts it; one player did all the effort, but the final name for the wicket will be of the player who didn’t do

much. This is also a sign for team spirit that instead of your selfish interests, you are putting the team before you and trying to take the team forward

instead of yourself. But everyone knows that it is the former who had put in all the effort.

Many a times, a batsman knows that he is good

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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On the D-Day, when the team / country requires them to deliver their responsibility, they are best equipped to do so as a team. This is our basic definition of team spirit. There are certain guidelines set; it is every player’s responsibility to adhere to those guidelines and not go astray and respect each other’s space. Another

point

noted is that, the space which the team has given you

your

responsibility, the

important to learn to be adaptable so you can fill

another person’s shoes also when the situation demands. This will be for the betterment of your company and your team.

Q. Since we are in this COVID zone, how do you see the impact on sports; sports being a gathering based phenomenon, the adrenaline comes through cheering and spectators. There have been talks of closeddoor cricket and playing before empty stands...what is your take on the impact of COVID on cricket or sports in general, in the coming months? Let us consider a wedding, we have the couple and

the ‘baraatis’ (attendees). There is definitely much

onus

completely

more enjoyment if everyone is there...but the case won’t be such that if there are no ‘baraatis’, there

you to improve

will be no wedding.

your

Sports will also be such, without the spectators

skills

and

maximise that space.

live, sports games will occur. The point to be considered is that, all this will be telecasted

at hitting sixes; but today is not his day, that can

online, it is all about the digital age; if we speak

difficult for him and has understood his style

viewership will increase, everyone has been

non-striker that he takes charge of the larger shots

and smartphones.

be for any reason, his form, the bowler is proving

about viewership, from a business perspective,

and weakness...it is then the responsibility of the

waiting for cricket and everyone has internet

and the striker concentrates on ground shots and

stays on field till the end of the game. This is also a sign of team spirit.

Definitely, the atmosphere that the spectators used to create will not be there, but I feel that the spectators are the life of cricket. Without fans, the

Another instance, if there is a bowler who is an

whole sport is meaningless. This will definitely be

is, an expert at the yorker, it is the responsibility

that the fans are not there, but online viewership

expert in taking wickets like how Jaspreet Bumrah

a weakness in the overall structure of the sport

of the other bowlers to ensure that they do not

will increase tremendously.

let the opposition score a lot so that the pressure on Bumrah is not a lot. Similarly, in a company,

if there is one person who is not able to do one

task properly, that does not mean that he cannot do the other task properly too. He should try and identify what task he can do the best and

the others have to encourage and support him. Because it is this task which will eventually help

the company in the long run. This also comes under the umbrella of team spirit.

Adaptability is the biggest and most important component of team spirit. You definitely have

to execute your responsibility at the best, but keep in mind that you might have to take up the responsibility of your other members also, if there

is no turn up due to sickness etc. It is very

So, in a way, if there will be losses in the stadium, there will be more profits online. There will be a

graded progression and sooner or later, fans will be back at the stadium. I feel there will be social

distancing norms in stadiums, also until and unless a proper cure for COVID has been invented,

people will definitely be hesitant to come to stadiums; but on television and online, people will definitely watch. It is also the responsibility of

the commentators to put all their art and skill to keep the viewers glued to the screen and

interested in the sport. But I personally do not feel that the intensity of the sport will fall because

first-class cricket is also played without any crowd but players play with their full intensity.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

SILVER LINING

2020: An Opportunity to Reset Operations and Emerge Fitter and Better

Q. What do you perceive as challenges that could arise post COVID-19 for a global operation like yours and how prepared are you? On the contrary, COVID-19 will be an

eye-opener for many on the beneficial applications

flexible

packaging

Dr. Arup Basu Executive Director Huhtamaki PPL Ltd. Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

“We were always focused on serving our esteemed

customers and all this pandemic has done is help us

concentrate even more on how we can improve upon this task,” articulates Dr. Arup Basu, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

deliver products hygienically to the end consumer with the lowest carbon footprint amongst all packaging alternatives and concurrently help minimise

product waste by using convenient pack sizes, pouches and tubes. We were always focused on serving our esteemed customers and all this pandemic has done is help us concentrate even more on how we can improve upon

this task. We are using 2020 to reset as much of our operations as possible to be able to emerge fitter and better equipped to further embed customer centricity in everything that we do. Our

I see a larger future for

global footprint will help us work shoulder-to-shoulder with our global

customers so that across the world, they literally

packaging that indicates whether

experience us as their local partner. Post COVID-19, many will

the product is safe, hygienic and

review their supply-chains and aim to rectify weaknesses that

authentic, and one that allows

emerged during this crisis - hence it is important for us to be part of the gated community of our customers across the globe.

Q. With over a century of history and winning accolades, being a pioneer in the packaging industry, what is the next big thing for Huhtamaki?

people to purchase in sizes that

minimises product wastage. After COVID-19, the economic uncertainty will drive

The only accolades we care about are those we seek and get from

value buying to a greater degree and waste is the enemy of value.

our customers - attributes like possessing integrity and humility in

our dealings, being trusted during a crisis to fulfill our commitments,

being responsive, agile, innovative and so on. Our current preoccupation

is with embedding sustainability in everything we do, especially our product

structures so that they can be easily recycled or downcycled without compromising any of their functional attributes. We feel we need to earn the right to grow with our customers afresh, every day, and this keeps us grounded.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Q. You just highlighted that sustainability is one of the key goals of Huhtamaki, please share with us more on the subject?

using

signature

management equipment to be able

everything

innovative

digital

which allows an automated trash to segregate it to the right recycling

stream without human intervention.

the packaging substrate to facilitate recycling,

should

The packaging should have an embedded

we do. Examples include designing easier

packaging

products’ shelf-life is over. NN

take a holistic approach to sustainability embedding

product

begin to self-destruct after the

As I mentioned, we are beginning to and

The

What is the concept of the ‘Blueloop’ Huhtamaki follows? Blueloop is our umbrella brand under

which we are driving the development of recyclable / easier-to-recycle, flexible packaging. Our intent is to have our entire range of products under the

Blueloop format within the timelines prescribed by our customers.

Q. ‘Design for Sustainability’ Do you see this as the biggest deliverable?

Q. What would be your major focus area as a member of the global team?

consumed, proactively participating in

It is a crucial deliverable and a lot of

Sustainable, profitable, growth of the

accelerating

Just as ‘safety’ represents a platform

codified in our strategy. Apart from that,

surface treatments to enable thickness reduction which in-turn would reduce the

absolute

quantity

polymers

development of a circular economy, downcycling

post-

consumer used flexible packaging and

minimising use of energy and natural resources in our manufacturing units.

Q. Product design (packaging) has witnessed and will continue to witness major changes in approach, concept and deliverables. How do you visualise a design of tomorrow? We feel we need to earn the right to grow with

our customers

afresh, every day,

and this keeps us grounded.

No consumer wants to buy a product that has been on a shelf for 12

or 24 months and yet,

several FMCG products need to indicate such

periods as ‘best before’. With

advances

transportation, logistics

and supply chain, nearly

all parts of India can be accessed within a timeframe wherein a 6 - 8 month

‘best before’ promise should suffice.

This single change in mindset regarding shelf-life can usher a fundamental shift in design, sustainability and affordability. The starting point needs to be ease

of disposal and increasingly waste minimisation and maintaining product

hygiene. Selling fresh produce without any packaging may sound trendy, but is not a good practice and the current

situation proves this quite emphatically. The design of tomorrow will have two

elements (and I have no clue on whether these will ever become mainstream):

work needs to be done around it. where airlines collaborate rather than use

for

differentiating

themselves,

‘sustainability’ needs to be the platform

for collaboration within the packaging

flexible packaging segment globally as

work with and support my subordinates, peers and our global CEO to help Huhtamaki achieve its full potential.

industry. The need is overwhelming

Q. A management practice that you are a firm believer of...

democratise the benefits of flexible

Embedding leadership across the depth

especially

would

packaging across product segments

and breadth of an organisation. This is

Q. Do you see a future for ‘customised packaging’?

getting them on-board and co-creating

best done by identifying the right talent,

an ambition which, at the outset,

It has already existed in some manner or

nobody has a clue on how to achieve,

form for quite some time now and going

and then, getting out of their way, while

forward, I am not sure how mainstream

being their loudest cheerleader.

this will become. I see a larger future

for packaging that indicates whether

Q. If you could turn time back, one thing that you would like to do differently...

the product is safe, hygienic and authentic, and one that allows people to purchase in sizes that minimises product

wastage. After COVID-19, the economic uncertainty will drive value buying to a greater degree and waste is the enemy of value.

Q. What steps need to be taken to position India as the ‘design capital’ of the world? Publicising successes - nothing succeeds

like success. Win a few design awards and soon, self-belief will rear its head and a winning eco-system will begin to

evolve. However, success is purely an

accident that requires a lot of hard work.

Q. Request you to share your thoughts on circular economy.

Spend more time with all stakeholders

explaining the advantages that flexible packaging offers. This is a category that receives a lot of flak because citizens perceive

anything

with

plastics

being antithetical to their notion of a clean environment, whereas the truth is somewhat different. Countries like

Japan are great examples to support the thesis that extensive usage of flexible

packaging

improves

overall

hygiene levels, at all levels of society, in a most cost-effective and sustainable manner, and that a combination of right

behavioural practices especially in the way citizens dispose off waste and a circular economy approach can address all current flaws.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

PACKAGING SURGE

Demand for Flexible Packaging Looks Northwards After COVID-19 Outbreak

Ajay Tandon President Engineering and New Product Development UFlex Ltd. Noida

“After COVID outbreak, we are seeing a good

demand for certain types

of packaging machines; so is the case for converting

machines,” highlights Ajay Tandon, in dialogue with

POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. If you have to name the top 5 attributes that have been the major business drivers for UFlex and its Engineering Business, which would they be? At UFlex, the growth of Engineering Business is geared by innovation backed approach that complements the customers’ packaging requirements. UFlex’ success can be attributed to, NN

Unparalleled leadership at the top.

Trust and respect for people.

Thrust on new developments and innovations.

Customer-centric approach.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Work towards continuous improvement with an open mind.

Q. From your Engineering Business, what is the next big thing in the pipeline for the industry to look forward to?

of products packed so as to also have anticounterfeit features wherever required, customer

convenience in handling and using the package, and the attraction / appeal of the pack. In case of

machines related to flexible packaging, customers will be more inclined to the overall quality,

UFlex’ Engineering Business is determined to

reliability, new features, automation and machines

set to give an experience of convenience and

meeting the Industry 4.0 norms.

develop path-breaking technologies that are all enhanced efficiency to its customers. These are: NN

Wide web secondary slitters.

Fully-automatic mask making machine.

Continuous type, high-speed full servo VFFS machines.

Continuous machines.

type,

high-speed

multi-track

Stick pack machines up to 600 mm web width.

Q. What are the challenges you foresee for capital intensive business as yours in the post-COVID period?

with higher speeds giving higher productivity,

Q. With demands on urgent deliveries, is the industry witnessing a stock pileup of packaging machines? What do customers need to know? After COVID outbreak, we are seeing a good

demand for certain types of packaging machines. So is the case for converting machines, as the

flexible packaging material demand is looking northwards due to the hygiene factor spreading l

brought to the

and is cognisant about importance of hygiene

scale recycling

rural areas. End customer is now more conscious for them and their family. Accordingly, our

after depressed markets and hence, generally

intermediate customers need to build capacities

speaking, post-COVID it may be a challenge for

to supply to the needs of the end customers.

capital goods industry to get back to its usual

normal in a short time. As flexible packaging is one

Q. High-speed packaging automation...is this a reality? Where are we today?

packaging and converting machines business is also less affected and, in fact, doing better than the previous year, so far.

Q. In specific, how important are new developments and innovations going to be? Do you see a change in buying parameters in coming times? New will

focus.

product

always We

development

continue

consider

and

the

innovation

innovation business

and

new

product development as one of the prime factors for maintaining our leadership position in

the industry. Our management invests a large proportion with

the

R&D

their

team

engineering innovation.

time to

and

create

focus

along

unparalleled

With buyers getting sensitive and looking for

improved quality every day, they will always look for value for money and the benefits they can get out of their purchase. In case of flexible packaging materials, key factors are likely to get

strengthened; such as, barrier properties, safety

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

has not been

ike wild fire even in certain backward towns and

Capital goods are always the last to revive

area which is least affected, our engineering,

Mixed plastic

laminate waste

In our country, we are still falling short of

thinking ‘big’ and not really working as fast as our

neighbouring countries in implementing things that make a ‘big’ difference. Higher speeds and

automation are and will be the focal and integral areas for the Indian machine producers to look

into, specifically to make the other manufacturing

desired large-

stage. Imagine, with its proper

disposal, proper

collection and

bringing it back with recycling,

a new business

opportunity can

be created with a

huge magnitude.

industries (using these machines) ‘big’. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

Q. Being a dominant player in packaging engineering, please share your plans relating to development of recycling machinery; a step that would have a huge impact in the near future. Mixed plastic laminate packaging is there to stay

and grow in parallel with the flexible packaging consumption.

manufacturers

the

make

duty

this

packaging

sustainable.

Technically, it is very much possible to recycle mixed plastic laminate waste. We are doing the

same in a reasonably big way at our Noida packaging plant. We offer the technology and

equipment to the interested parties through

our engineering businesses. Another area where

authorities and continued our operations during

plastics sustainable is by producing bio-degradable

supply of all packaging materials and machines to

UFlex is already working on solutions to make

plastic films for certain applications to begin with.

For sustainability of plastic packaging, it is most important for the users to have discipline and to discard plastics in the correct manner after its use.

Q. Please share with us your views on circular economy and its impact on the ecosystem. Today, mono-layer plastics are being recycled in reasonably big quantities. But the mixed plastic

laminate waste has not been brought to the desired large-scale recycling stage. Imagine, with

its proper disposal, proper collection and bringing it back with recycling, a new

business opportunity can be created

Our country

with a huge magnitude.

has the maximum

potential to grow and reap

gen-next have a great future. They have to learn to dream, be more focused and be

protect our people from getting infected.

During the pandemic, we learnt a lot on how to tackle tough times. Yes, there were initial

bottlenecks on the supply chain and raw material front, but we rose to the occasion and developed

more with limited manpower. We shifted gears to digital mediums to reach out to our customers

to give them the understanding of machine installation, commissioning and impart technical training without our physical presence on their production floor.

one mentor. There can be more from whom one

My personal belief is that there need not be just

mixed plastic waste into circular

can learn and get inspired. On professional front,

of an upcycled film which also has

endless applications.

What could be a better solution than to

treat PET bottle and mixed plastic waste, and

generate wealth out of it. It is just a question of

people and the industry coming forward and start segregating and recycling the discarded plastic

waste. That day is also not far for sure and the good news is that some of the converters have adopting

recycling

processes.

UFlex has adopted both these methodologies to reinstate the utility of plastic and form a loop economy.

Q. In these trying times of the pandemic, what is the strategy you deployed to support the end customers in terms of delivery, installations and addressing production bottlenecks?

I admire the ideologies and philosophies of Mr. Ratan Tata, admire the speed and risktaking abilities of Mr. Mukesh Ambani and, in our packaging industry, I respect none other than

our Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Ashok

Chaturvedi who has created one of its only kind, this totally vertical integrated empire and made UFlex a brand known world over in the field of

flexible packaging and films. On personal front, my father taught me the values in life.

Q. Your advice to the gen-next of our industry. Flexible packaging is set to grow manifolds in decades to come. Sky is the limit, especially in

the

country

populous

India.

suggestion to the engineering fraternity is to

compete with technology and not get into a price

war;

development good.

instead,

Keep

with

get

into

innovation

growing

with

new

for

product

everyone’s

caution

step-by-step, don’t try to hop, skip and jump.

and

The outbreak of pandemic was ‘out of the blue’,

Our country has the maximum potential to

vision and the great leadership of our Chairman

and gen-next have a great future. They have

for which everyone was unprepared. With the

and Managing Director, Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, we took necessary permissions from the local

all safety measures as advised by the authorities to

of products and bringing this

the other hand, recycling of PET

started

continued our operations, but we strictly followed

be moulded into thousands

bottle waste can help development

already

space and meet public demand. Though we

form granules which can then

economy helps the ecology. On

more nationalistic.

our customers in the FMCG and pharmaceutical

Q. Who do you consider to be your greatest mentor?

Recycling mixed plastic waste to

the opportunities. Our youth and

the lockdown period; this ensured uninterrupted

grow and reap the opportunities. Our youth to learn to dream, be more focused and be more nationalistic.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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RETROSPECTION

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Changing

Life

he beautiful question is, “What is life?” For man, it is a ‘great gift of God’. It gives man

a great opportunity to serve God through

service and help himself to expand his mind and heart. ‘Understanding life’ is very important. Lord Sri Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad Gita, “You are created along with other living being of the

world to live in co-ordination with them and help

them. In the process, you are blessed with all

wealth.” Here, one needs to understand the mutual

Dr. R. Vasudevan Dean ECA and Professor Department of Chemistry Thiagarajar College of Engineering Madurai

Lord Sri Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad Gita, “You are created along with other living being of the world to live in

co-ordination with them and help them. In the process, you are blessed with all

wealth.” Here, one needs to understand the mutual dependency amongst themselves

and, hence, need to help each other. Of the

84,00,000 living beings, man is one; and he is the God-sent ambassador to the world.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

dependency amongst themselves and, hence, need to help

each other. Of the 84,00,000 living beings, man is one; and he is the God-sent ambassador to the

world. Living beings are of three categories; one is

the plant kingdom, second is the animal kingdom, and the third is human being; the life and living of each one is interdependent.

The plant kingdom is the heart of the world, without whom the world cannot exist. It supports and supplies not only food, but also life-saving oxygen. They also help

to maintain the abiotic conditions needed for effective survival of living being, including themselves. It is a yajna that is being performed by the plant kingdom. Similarly, the animal kingdom is important and they contribute for

the effective sustenance of the ecosystem. A beautiful equilibrium is existing from time immemorial. Based on the

environmental conditions, different species of plants and animals exist. This is known as biodiversity. Again, it is God’s

gift. One needs to enjoy biodiversity by understanding its importance. It is a great wonder. Though, over a long

period, some modifications have taken place due to changes in the universal behaviour, the biodiversity is however maintaining itself.

Man, the ruler of the land of living, is more of a deciding

factor of the world of environment. The environment supports the living of living beings by providing basic needs like water, air, suitable temperature etc.

The world was moving well and the lifestyle was not

very much changed, except for some small changes is the dress, food etc. Starting from the period of Sri Rama of Srimad Ramayana, life’s principle was to maintain the

standard of living. In between there were small wars or battles. This has changed the administration, but not the lifestyle of either the plant kingdom or animal kingdom,

and also human being. The environment was also safe with no deviation in the environmental behaviour. There

was no report about the migration of either birds or animals during this period.

In order to safeguard nature, the support was planned by our elders through cultural practices. To cite an

example, the Hindu Gods are associated mostly with animals as their vehicle (Vahanam - for their transport) and imparted divinity to them. Moreover, each temple is associated with a tree, which is the tree of the deity

and this tree is the tree of the region. This is again to

safeguard the plant kingdom. A lifestyle based upon the culture is always supportive of the environment and for its care.

In addition to this, maintenance of health in one’s

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Having ar(rest ed) at has be the ho en giv use, m an en en think ough and re time t a li o se. He unders should tood t have h a t t he wa has to y of li be cha ving nged. to und He als erstand o need that th s living is e stand not im ard of p o rtant a of life nd stan is mor dard e impo moder r t a nt. So n lifest , the yle has for his to be c own b hange etterm d ent.

day-to-day life is more based on Ayurveda, being the science of life. It is a plant-based science. Hence,

safeguarding the plant kingdom is very important. In this regard, a recent communication from the Ministry of AYUSH emphasises this.

After the two world wars, the need for scientific and

technological

development

emerged.

Man started indulging in many ways under the

pretext

scientific

exploration

and

technology development with the advent of

the new field called electronic and electrical engineering. This necessitated the change in lifestyle and it has become the way of life. Industrialisation

started

creating

disturbances.

Many forests were destroyed, rivers were used

as waste outlet, land was also used for waste disposal with disposal of toxic gases in the atmosphere. Global warming has come into existence. The regular seasonal changes are

I feel that the

entry of COVID-19

getting affected. This change has also affected the living conditions of plants, animals, and why not, human being as well.

in the world arena

Let us do remember that nature has to follow its

influenced the

existence of all living beings. Nature protects if

has definitely

mind and heart of

many in a positive way. Man has to

become friendly

to nature and to

himself. This is the greatest message.

own ‘Laws of Dharma’, to maintain the effective

(she), the nature, is protected. But, in the recent

past, man started acting against this ‘Dharma’, creating environmental hazards. The functioning

of world is a yajna. Every living being has a role

infrastructures and facilities. Time has come that man has to understand that his absence has improved the environment.

Having ar(rested) at the house, man has been given enough time to think and realise. He should have understood that the way of living has to be

changed. He should not be selfish; our age-old culture is more important and it has become very handy to face COVID-19. It starts from our food habits, daily practices for better health, and so on.

He also needs to understand that the standard

of living is not important and standard of life is more important. So, the modern lifestyle has to be changed for his own betterment.

to play to maintain the law; but today, this is

Modern education has no stress on the values

their life track. Animals are migrating to different

significantly improved. Values never change due

birds have become extinct. Plant growth is also

even today, we enjoy the Epic Ramayana. This

the sustainability of the ecosystem. We cannot

Lifestyle should be modified accordingly. The

lifestyle is against this universal concept, and he

following all our activities. He is ready to help

taken the law in its hand. We see the advent of

influence one’s lifestyle in a positive way.

not being taken care of by us. Birds are losing

places causing anxiety to man’s living. Some

to age. Dharma is the same always. That is why

affected. Each living being is the backbone of

reflects our inner thrust for values in everyone.

disturb their lives in any way. But presently, man’s

Lord is the supervisor of the world. He is

is failing to co-operate with nature. Nature has

our righteous actions. This thought will definitely

COVID-19...and what a happening in the past

I feel that the entry of COVID-19 in the world

3 months! Man is asked to stay at home ar(rested) and the world has started to rectify the

environment. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says, “Whenever the Dharma is deviated, I come

down to establish the Dharma.” I hope that this is

what going on. The nature has improved, pollution has reduced, rivers are becoming pure. Man is absent and his activities are reduced. Man, all these days, was working selfishly to develop a

standard of living for him by improving various

life,

also

the

education

processes

have

arena has definitely influenced the mind and

heart of many in a positive way. Man has to become friendly to nature and to himself. This is the greatest message.

Let us help ourselves by moving through the right style of life, giving importance to values, environment, services and sacrifices. Life is beautiful; make it useful!

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

B u s in es sToon s

More than just ordinary, BusinessToons take content to another level in POLYMERS Communiqué. Reading this, some may laugh, some may smile, some may read it and just put the magazine on the

side. In either case, it has achieved its intent to help you unwind and reset your mind...make it fresh, as green as it can get; essential isn’t it...as possibilities with polymers are endless...circular nevertheless!

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

SERIOUS FUN

Importance of Toys as an Industry Needs to be Understood

“As a country, India needs to treat the toys industry the way we treat automotive industry or IT business. As regards COVID-19, it is once-in-a-generation problem

and has put everyone back with their growth plans and strategies. We would like to utilise this period in evaluating our current business strategies, evaluating our customer service levels and work on strategies to enhance the service levels,” expresses Vijendra Babu N., in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. What would be the most important attributes that have contributed immensely for Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd. (MPPL) to grow from just 3 injection moulding machines in 2005 to 225 machines in 2020?

technology.

We started as a component supplier, but soon

based subscription which is automatically upgraded.

realised the importance of providing value-added

solutions to the customer in the form of sub-assemblies, contract manufacturing to sustain, compete and grow.

Hence, we looked at the below strategies to enhance our position. NN

We redefined our strategy to become ‘One Stop

Solution’

company

offering

from design to contract manufacturing. NN

solutions

Taking calculated risk by diversifying into contract furniture and toys.

Adaptability and fast learning.

Q. How can a company stay abreast with the ever-advancing technological environment in terms of skill development and infrastructure investments? The rate at which technology is improving today,

it’s very difficult to keep abreast with the latest

will

big

risk

To start with, the company’s legacy IT system may be becoming obsolete which requires upgradation with system modernisation. It is better to look for cloudOne has to look at the following criteria to stay in sync with technology: NN

Understand customer requirements.

Simplify the structure.

Redesign keeping in mind flexibility and fastness to respond.

Reorganise based on capabilities of the workforce.

Invest in the right resources to make changes successful.

manufacturing of hobby model kits, sports, NN

Companies

lagging behind.

Q. How prepared is MPPL to address issues arising post COVID-19? Any specific steps that your company plans to embark on? NN

On the safety front, we have taken all safety precautions as prescribed by the government.

COVID-19 is once-in-a-generation problem and

has put everyone back with their growth plans and strategies. We also are equally affected, even

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

more with toys being a very seasonal product.

The business is going to take anywhere between 6 - 12 months to regain normalcy. We would like

to utilise this period in evaluating our current business

strategies,

evaluating

our

customer

service levels and work on strategies to enhance

the service levels. We are re-evaluating our capex and resources to utilise them in the most efficient ways so as to preserve cash.

Q. Impact of design on business is witnessing giant strides. Specifically, in the toys industry, how do you see this impact? Conception of a product is the first step in any business, and it starts with design. Hence, the design

process is the most important step in any business. Design process is the most creative process among all the business processes and is the only area

where we can add a USP to any product. Definition of a product with regards to its form-fit-function and value is achieved through the design process, and hence its impact on any business process is self-explanatory.

In toy industry, the creativity is stretched to the maximum. If you compare the toy industry to any other industry, there is no specific to

the

definition

toy

opportunities

are

with

product

multifold.

regards

because

This

one area where the creator is able to use his imagination to the ultimate level. The fundamental requirement to the toy as a product is in its ability to entertain the innocent minds - both, visually as well as functionally - and, at the same time, add value to their thought process at an affordable price. The creator is required to work within this framework.

For toys, one should be able to come up with varieties in design within a quick span of time to operate within the small window of seasonal demands. The entire design process can be split into two areas; namely, the ideation of a product or the

concept generation, followed by the

engineering.

The

ideation

gives life to the product and the engineering helps to put a body around the life.

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;lâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;June - July 2020

Vijendra Babu N. CEO Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru

Your message to the gen-next entrepreneurs. Things that they should not forget are...

Have patience. There is no substitute for hard work.

Take calculated risk.

Health and happiness.

As they say luck always favours the brave and in business you need the ‘L U C K’ which I define always as,

L - Location of business in the right place. U - Understanding of the geography. C - Connections in the right way. K - Knowledge of the processes.

If you have business in the right Location, with right Understanding of the geography, with right Connections and have the right Knowledge of the processes, you are bound to get L U C K Y.

Q. What steps need to be taken to position India as the ‘design capital’ of the world?

Q. What are your plans for MPPL in terms of new products, designs and brands?

Export manufacturing of branded toys is relatively

bit unfair to compare capability in India with

and are quite successful in learning the process

new in India. It’s been around for 4 - 5 years. It’s a

decades of capability in China. India is still only seen as a production hub by the toy industry and we

have to come up with end-to-end solutions at par with China. It takes time to build.

As a country, India needs to understand the

importance of toys as an industry like the way we

An ideation

gives life to the

product and the

engineering helps to put a body

around the life.

treat automotive industry or IT business. This can

happen if some established industrial houses invest in the business. There could be specialisations in the field of toys as a part of the curriculum so that

people understand the nuances of the regulatory requirements and safety hazards specific to the

by partnering with various design houses or consulting with subject matter experts. Also, India needs to build experience in certain complex

types of toys engineering and model kits. Another area which might pose as a challenge will be in the area of prototype build which also needs

diversified

into

contract

at providing end-to-end solutions in toys with building

capabilities

toy

product

design,

prototype making to align with our existing

capabilities of tool building and manufacturing. We are looking into enhancing our capability on

electronic toys, roto moulded and blow moulded toys, action figures etc.

Q. Two aspects of the company that you think is not fully known by the industry. NN

Largest contract manufacturer and exporter of toys and hobby model kits in India.

We have set up 3 plants with manufacturing space of 6,50,000 sq. ft. in the last 5 years.

Q. How do you rate the global competitiveness of the Indian toy manufacturers?

to be enhanced. To be competitive, the speed

Branded toys manufacturing and exports is still

country, need to improve a lot. Once we have a

played a significant part to prove to the toy world

of execution is another area with which we, as a focus and if a priority is set on the toy business,

all these challenges can be overcome over a period of time.

recently

and productionising the same. We are looking

toy industry. I see a gap in this ideation particularly in the area of toys, but this can be overcome

have

manufacturing of furniture for a major customer

a sunrise industry in India. We are glad to have

that India can manufacture and export toys, meeting all stringent chemical, safety and ethical standards required by the industry.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Q. The areas that you feel need attention to up the growth of the toy industry in India. Global toy companies are actively seeking to

reduce China concentration risk and no country

has the scale to absorb this volume other than India. Toy manufacturing can generate lakhs of

employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly. This can be a great advertisement for ‘Make in India’.

The government needs to recognise the potential opportunity in toys manufacturing and consider it as a priority sector and encourage this industry

with export incentives, training incentives and

To be

capital incentives as scalability is very fast in toys

competitive,

the speed of execution is

another area with which we, as a

country, need to improve a lot.

manufacturing.

The

government

should

also

provide easy access to land along with cheap

finance. Also, toys being a very seasonal business employing large workforce, the industry needs

flexibility in working hours, women workforce

for as long as possible, rather than replacing them frequently. For instance, electronic and electric

devices are designed in a way that they can be easily repaired.

In toys, many countries are now coming up with

‘Toy-Cycle’. It’s an online resource that connects families in local groups so they can save money and reduce waste by swapping free used toys

and games with one another. With Toy-Cycle, you can have access to new-to-you toys and games, offer up those your child has outgrown. By maximising the number of consecutive use cycles,

each toy exchange avoids the material, energy and labour involved in creating a new product.

More and more toy makers are also now looking at sustainable raw materials. The circular economy

is a tool we as individuals can use to reduce the amount of raw materials used and save energy.

being able to work in shifts, flexibility to the

India knows how to manage resources when it

intrusion from trade unions. The government

in our daily practice to reuse and recycle to the

separate sector similar to apparels and come

for novel ways to squeeze the extended value out

the apparel industry.

into dusters, washcloths and mops, disposing

Q. What is your take on circular economy?

used. Often recycling is undertaken by the weaker

companies to scale up and scale down with no

comes to sorting and separating. As Indians, it is

should also consider recognising toys as a

maximum possible extent. We are always striving

out with a favourable minimum wages in line with

of forsaken objects, revamping our old T-shirts

I am not an expert in circular economy. But I think

there is a need to change from take - make - dispose to regenerative concepts. It opens up a world of opportunities to the way we think and design

a product. To ensure a future that has sufficient raw

materials

for

food,

housing

and

other

essentialities, the need of the hour is to go circular. This means removing off wastage by making materials and products more efficient and reusing them. The focus is on making products which last

them off only when they are too tattered to be section of the society ending as rag pickers, which

at times poses serious health concerns. But, when it comes to advanced technologies, there is scope

for India to bring in some expertise. This can be done by creating a nexus between the research institutions and industry. There is a need for a

well-developed roadmap for transition towards

a circular economy. This is an opportunity which India should take the lead in a circular model of development.

If you want to shine like the sun, first burn like the sun.

- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

POLYTHINKING

Mitigate Risks

by Designing and Operating Plants Safely If industries develop, design, operate and control a

chemical process such that the consequence is reduced because of different chemistry, chemicals, conditions or simplicity, wouldn’t the safety of the plant be

improved? Is this not better than layers of protection? Hello everybody! I hope you are all safe and healthy. Several years ago, I used to write a column titled, ‘The E-Column’ for the Chemical

Business magazine. It used to cover from environment to economics, new

processes and literature and I always included a humorous part in the beginning. I have a great sense of humour. Unfortunately, the magazine is defunct now

for commercial reasons, not due to my column!! When I was approached to write

bi-monthly

column

for

POLYMERS

Communiqué

dealing

with

polymers and materials viewed from all angles, I decided to coin it ‘PolyThinKing’, which will provide a commentary on all aspects of business, education, research, innovation and government policy.

During the current lockdown in its various avatars, and its lifting thereafter,

partial or otherwise, too many accidents have taken place in the chemical and allied industries, bringing into question the very existence of chemical plants and their operation. Public faith is eroding due to negative coverage in media, notwithstanding the fact that chemical and allied industries including

refineries, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, polymers, agrochemicals,

Professor (Dr.) Ganapati D. Yadav Emeritus Professor of Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI) Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

intermediates etc. are essential. They are not optional and will contribute very significantly to Hon’ble PM’s dream of USD 5 trillion economy.

Accidents are part and parcel of modern civilisation. If we step out of our

homes, in our workplaces, no matter what job we do or how we travel,

something unexpected can happen. The frequency and severity of

such accidents are the real causes to worry about. So, what lessons has the industry learnt to avoid accidents? Can they operate safely? Can the chemical industry be as safe as the nuclear industry or beyond?

As an educator and researcher, I would like the readers to ponder on what follows.

Be Prepared for the Worst...to Stay Safe

books

An accident can happen due to many factors and the most talked about term

in the industry is ‘runaway’ situation: uncontrolled temperature rise leading

to untoward consequence. The Vizag accident on 7th May, 2020, due to

styrene leak in the vapour form (not the gas as the ‘breaking news-wallas’ said) brought

Risk is typically

attention,

defined as ‘hazard

how

polymerisations could lead

x exposure’ or

runaway:

equally

what

probability zero

propagates

‘loss

minimise

probability

solution.

accident

probability

that

maximise

the

facts to be asked / analysed are: NN

design engineers or system while designing or operating the plant, and for which, of course, there was

no emergency plan for prevention and containment with no loss or minimum loss of life, plant and/

or business. Loss of prestige of the

have

studied

polymerisations: initiation, propagation and

termination

reaction mechanism.

part

the

nitration, sulfonation, hydrolysis, salt formation,

Friedel-Crafts diazotisation,

hydrolysis,

alkylation,

oxidation,

esterification

thought

Were natural causes due to flood,

What about the molecular group or

designing or operating the plant? NN

What about the hazard and risk due to the neighbouring plant and processes in the same zone?

during 1980 - 81 when I was a

for ICI, UK. He used to write his

Was accident due to less attention

causes of accident considered while

then)

young Leverhulme Fellow. He worked

into

just in process? Were all these likely

whom I had the honour of sharing the Technology,

taken

and materials on the site, and not

the great author, Trevor Kletz, with

(of

steps

hazardous properties of all chemicals

dangerous! This has been given by

University

and

due to the geography?

office for a year in the Loughborough

Was the inherent process hazard

earthquake, tsunami etc. considered, NN

danger

both

Disaster is a rarity in the chemical

industry, but negligence or misfortune can so easily result in devastating consequences. Many accidents are by

the plants in the vicinity or processes of which no knowledge is shared. Recent events in the Indian industry

are a testimony to this fact. In the

chemical process industry everything, including the material, machine or man,

has a potential to cause incidence or accident; unfortunately, in that order. If

it is a chemical in process or storage or transported as gas, liquid or solid form,

it has the potential to cause disastrous consequence. The chemical on site

which is not part of the process can cause severe damage if its properties

and personnel who are running the

short-cut in the SOP? NN

(> 95%).

to safety to save money or due to

and hydrogenation, which normally would

causing

Human error or over-familiarity is

account?

halogenation, amination,

Who trains the new personnel on

are not considered. The management

analysed

accidents in the industry, followed by

Was the incidence / accident either

the majority cause of accidents

cases

disastrous

human error?

You will be surprised to know that lead

due to failure of equipment or

polymerisations

manufacturer

for business.

terminates malignantly. might

The specific type of incidence /

accident was not anticipated by the

terminates benignly if it does start,

You

operation? NN

past accidents in the same plant?

error. Some of the pertinent questions /

sequence

or minimise the consequence if it

process

error. Most accidents are due to human

the

the most ‘benign’ plant due to human

begins,

well-known

and anticipate accidents can happen in

the

that

up or commissioning or actual

parties?

prevention’

is:

the most ideal

management done during start-

Is it hidden from new recruitment

it. The objective of

zero would be

with

manufacturing: ‘Expect the unexpected’

and how to terminate

or exposure

So, if you are in the business of

triggers an incident,

Making the

discuss

safety and risk management.

and termination. What

x probability’.

would

from the same University, who are

initiation, propagation

‘consequence

and

Prof. Frank Lees and Dr. Pete Andow

Was process simulation for hazard identification,

analysis

and

risk

must know all their chemicals, solvents plants and deal with them daily. As the adage goes - familiarity can breed contempt. Training of personnel from time to time, including the security at the site who have to deal with the emergency, is very crucial.

Risk is typically defined as ‘hazard x

exposure’

‘consequence

probability’. Making the probability zero or exposure zero would be the most ideal solution. The normal definition of

hazard is inadequate when we consider accidents which have taken place over

the years. Hazard is not restricted to physical hazards such as explosiveness, flammability certainly

also

and

corrodibility,

includes

acute

but

and

chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity and

ecological toxicity. Hazard must include

global threats such as global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, resource

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

depletion and bioaccumulation, and persistent

chemicals.

hazardous

properties

constitute be

those

addressed

Intrinsically

issues

through

chemicals

that

the

can

proper

design or redesign of chemistry and chemicals. So much so that we can define

‘safer

chemicals’

reduce

pollution and risk at source. Advances in

molecular

toxicology

and

the

relationship between chemical structure and

important

for

industrial

property

exploited

application

are

the

basic tools. Synthesis using catalysis, renewable resources, atom economy and solventless conditions will be the

be improved? Is this not better than This leads to the concept of ‘inherently safety the

structure’,

which

conceptual

process

part

mitigated

In an industrial zone or cluster of

Design a new molecule that is safe.

Redesign an existing molecule to

secrets. secret

for

Increase transportation safety by

more than 3 hours at a stretch and change the driver or take rest for not have more than 7 hours of duty

compulsorily

some time. The same driver should

and

in a day.

safety

must

chemical

and

risk

courses

product?

must

conducted.

The industry must facilitate such

currently

training for their own benefit. On

manufactured chemicals and the

the Board of Directors, a Director

plants?

for Innovation and Process Safety

If industries develop, design, operate

must be appointed under whose

that

manufacturing site.

guidance a team works at each

and control a chemical process such consequence

because

wouldn’t

the

chemicals,

different

conditions safety

reduced

chemistry, simplicity,

the

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

plant

There is a need of more Centres of

Excellence

innovation

for

research

process

and

safety

maximise the

are

different

probability that

industry

the sequence

terminates

their

own

the

Atmanirbhar

the consequence

start, or minimise

because

(Self-

them

if it terminates malignantly.

opportunity

make new chemicals and materials, including polymers. The China factor

must be exploited to be part of the USD 5 trillion.

and Risk Management’. Refresher

in tailor-making a molecule or

begins, or

chemical

benignly if it does

give

management

undergo a course on, ‘Process Safety

What is the limit of our ‘smartness’

the accident

reliant India) will

process

chemical and allied industries must

otherwise?

the

Bharat

teach

of 6 months. Those who work in

given chemical, inherently safe or

The

interest

courses and have in-plant training

But how do we manufacture a

the

technology

probability that

propagation.

minimise the

pursue this matter

All degree programmes in chemical

and biological sciences, engineering

time of accident

the

associations must

be an accident or fire or catastrophe. NN

objective of ‘loss

prevention’ is:

and

with emergency plans should there

on duty. Not to extend the duty

terminate it. The

globe and giving

totally

help the nearby sites to be ready

training the drivers and attendants

accidents

industry

be known to authorities. This will

Increase user safety.

and how to

accident

prevention and propagation must

make it safe. NN

who can help in

requirements

the maximum operating conditions preparedness

propagates it

incident, what

guidance

about an accident. For instance, and

must have experts

Control Boards and

the past across the

they use and process, without there

What triggers an

all

know what chemicals and materials

Remember

independent

from the Pollution

critically analysing

for all factories to let the neighbours

adopting the following strategies:

the

industries, it should be mandatory

chemicals’ to ‘inherently safer plants’ by

about

This Board must

designing

trade

PMO

not a disaster management board.

Meanwhile, my proposal is the following:

the

give guidelines to the industry. It is

will write separately.

disclosing

accidents and create a database and

and operating plants safely. About it, I

reporting

like the OPCW to investigate all

business has an inherent hazard which

‘current chemicals’ to ‘inherently safer

What

directly

synthesis

inherent safety evolution. The chemical should

A National Chemical Safety Board

ought to be established by GoI,

identification, hazard evaluation and

In fact, the industry must move from

structure, consists of three parts: hazard

Strategies to Adopt

leading institutes.

chemical safer plants’. The ‘inherent

hallmark of plants in the future.

and risk management in some

layers of protection?

And last, but not the least, public

awareness programmes must be conducted from time to time by industries

their

associations,

for the benefit of colonies and communities

nearby

which

can

be directly affected, should there by an accident. Signing

off

have more!

with

promise

EMERGING TIMES

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

et us ‘cut the clutter’, to borrow the phrase from Shekhar Gupta of ThePrint.

COVID-19 is here to stay. So, will it be business as usual or there will be a change? If so, what will change? How do we cope with this change? Let us first understand,

in simple terms, the direction in which we will have to be going.

A McKinsey report concluded, and I quote, “This much is certain. When we finally

enter the post-crisis period, the business and economic context will not have returned to its pre-crisis state. Executives preparing their organisations to succeed in the new normal must focus on what has changed and what remains basically the same for

Demystifying the New Normal

Learning to Live With COVID-19

We have to come out, post COVID-19, stronger and with a resolve that we shall overcome all these ‘new normal’ obstacles and make them look and appear...‘normal’.

Shailesh Sheth Corporate Strategy Advisor Management & Manufacturing Technology, Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

An Initiative Supported By

their customers, companies and industries. The

fake news galore on social media only add fuel

from the past, is no less rich in possibilities for

what is in their blood. Save! Economic stimulus

result will be an environment that, while different those who are prepared.”

Let us now see; what will be different, what will be ‘new’?

to this fire. At such times, all Indians fall back on

of the government, to some extent, eases that;

but market segmentation will decidedly shift from urban middle class to rural cash lords. Is my organisation prepared to serve this ‘new market’?

New Consumerism

Health Above Wealth

Digital Era

So far, this dictum sounded right in sermons

‘Shopping from shops’ will drastically reduce

and give way to ordering ‘online’. The scope of transactions will also become exponentially wider

to include industrial products and services as

well. In the lockdown month of June, 2020, the number of digital transactions (UPI) increased to

1.337 billion, the highest in the last 12 months!

A clear indicator of oncoming digital era! A company that is under my close watch, digitally installed

customer

and

commissioned

premises

far

away,

machine

without

any

technician travelling forced by the lockdown. But

would the ‘new normal’ adapt this as a standard SOP? Most probably, yes; in large number of

cases, if not all. Ask yourself. Is my organisation prepared for the digital era?

Discretionary Spend will be Conspicuous by its Relative Absence People have cash in their wallet, but are holding

it tight. Conspicuous consumption is not heard

any more, ‘essential’ spending is. Tight fisted consumers are asking again and again, ‘Do I really

need it?’ This is not an era of shortages like the years of yore. Does it make sense to buy in bulk to gain a shade better price? C. K. Prahlad’s concepts

of single-use shampoo, Parle’s ‘Chai Biskut’ with

a pack of two biscuits etc. will run amuk. These will change many dynamics. Packaging industry, retailing

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

outlets,

pricing

strategies,

delivery

systems - all will see the shine of the ‘new normal’. Consumers

are

graduating

from

emotional

intelligence to economic intelligence as primary

inspiration to buy. Is my organisation prepared to

of sadhus and saints. It is now spreading like a wildfire in the community. People will spend

money on looking after their and their family’s health. Healthier eating habits, more of eating

at home, less of red meats, vegan diet - if not vegetarian, living

simpler life,

anything and

everything that can keep me away from hospitals -

no one wants to even step into one, COVID or else.

Is my organisation prepared to face consequential changes and exploit ‘new opportunities’?

Redefining Who is Your Customer It is often said in India that we do business among friends i.e. build relationships. COVID-19 will reverse that. The new motto says ‘do not prefer

losses, work from home (tiny Mumbai flats!) and

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

focus on what

has changed and what remains

basically the

companies and

will force greater transparency in pricing policies and customer relationships. The other aspect is

that you don’t need to own a physical asset to be

customers,

industries. The

result will be an

able to use it. Usership will replace ownership. For

environment that,

who will have much higher bargaining leverage.

from the past,

you, what that means is, shift to a new customer

while different

From frying pan to fire, so to say. The ‘new

is no less rich in

normal’? Finally, the concept of shared resources

will press the pause button on capital expenditure. Even competitors would share common, underutilised resources to get maximum bang from

every buck invested. Is my organisation ‘future-

possibilities for those who are

prepared.

ready’ to manage this changed market dynamics?

New Jobs

Moving Mountain to Mohammed

of society at large. Nudged and pushed by job

new normal must

competitor get a better deal from you. Period! This

the chief one being, no customer wants to see his

Save or Spend Dilemma

have instilled uncertainty and fear in the minds

succeed in the

same for their

Companies located manufacturing plants based

lockdowns, no transport, no maid, no hospital etc.)

preparing their

organisations to

friends over customers’. This policy has many facets;

grow in this ‘essential’ consumption era?

The chaos associated with COVID-19 (Migrants,

Executives

on transportation of goods and services, quality infrastructure,

tax

incentives,

comfortable

social environment and so on. But, large number of emigrant labour, the sheer number came as

a shock really, put paid to the reasonableness of arguments about where to locate. Why should

diamond industry be located in Surat if skilled

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

polishers came from Bengal and Odisha? Why

will overwhelm any job seeker. A world without

Bengaluru when labour comes from Bihar and

move out of the HR dictionary. People will have

should garmenting be located in Mumbai and U.P.? COVID-19 has opened up this topic for fundamental change. Instead of ‘people to work’,

country has to consider policies that will take ‘work to people’. Dispersal of industries would be the

only long-term answer. Companies will have to consider relocation or open up satellite facilities.

If MSMEs cannot afford to do that on their own, they will have to consider a cluster approach

a.k.a. hosiery units at Thirupur. Is my organisation planning future expansion and growth strategy on this basis?

Permanent to Contractual Employment New business models will not permit long

term assumption of fixed cost of employees. As concurrent living with pandemics (health or economic) would entail rapid changes in pattern

of demand, companies will prefer contractual, project-based employment. Several skill banks shall emerge and based on needs, companies will draw from this central pool. A very different

HR challenge to manage homogeneity and work culture. Is my organisation ready to manage this ‘new normal’ HR practice?

Overwhelmed Job Market The rapid-fire changes that the foregoing entails

assurances and guarantees. Job security will

to continuously acquire new skill sets to be ready

and employable when change disrupts the existing job market. Like, from being the Head Waiter

at Mainland China to a Delivery Supervisor of Swiggy!!! As lives are more important than livelihood, these changes will have to be digested.

Overwhelming, is it not? Is my organisation ready

to handhold and mentor smooth transition of people and jobs when each change occurs?

New Fear to No Fear Learning to live with COVID-19 means constant exposure to an enemy you don’t see, don’t feel,

but fear the most. This has been a psychologically

bruising experience like none other. Three months, and counting, of lockdown and curfews will have

instilled fear in the minds of people. This fear will manifest in many ways, even at work. This will have to be overcome. We have to do our bit, not leave it

as a societal issue to be tackled by the government. Fortunately, at the very moment this piece was

being written, a close friend forwarded this poem by Khalil Gibran, titled ‘Fear’; read on:

It is said that before entering the sea, a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has travelled, from the peaks of the mountains,

Is my organisation prepared for the digital era? Is my organisation ready to handhold and mentor smooth transition of people and jobs when each change occurs? Is my organisation ready to manage this ‘new normal’ HR practice?

Ask Yourself...

Is my organisation planning future expansion and growth strategy on this basis?

the long winding road crossing forests

Is my organisation prepared to grow in this ‘essential’ consumption era?

Is my organisation ‘future-ready’ to manage this changed market dynamics?

and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter there Is my organisation prepared to serve this ‘new market’?

seems nothing more than to disappear forever. But there is no other way. The river cannot go back. Nobody can go back.

Is my organisation prepared to face consequential changes and exploit ‘new opportunities’?

To go back is impossible in existence. The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean,

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean.

We have to come out, post COVID-19, stronger and with a resolve that we shall overcome all these ‘new normal’ obstacles and make them look and appear...‘normal’.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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Weekend Delights Friday night to Monday morning, a time to unwind, rejuvenate and be geared to face another grueling week. Each one of us use this ‘my time’ is different ways. And why not, weekend is a time for expressing ourselves. We all have known the personalities featured here as astute business stalwarts; as life is more than just business, we at POLYMERS Communiqué, have started this section called ‘WEEKEND DELIGHTS’. Live life...

Deepak Dhamija Proprietor

DNS Solutions

During this entire lockdown, I have kept myself engaged in social activities like distribution of ration kits to the poor who were highly affected due to the lockdown.

Nilesh Mehta Director

Maxcess India Automation Pvt. Ltd.

Due to COVID-19, we were locked inside our homes. Day by day, the situation is becoming tougher and one must think how to utilise this time in our day while working from home. Every Sunday, each one of us should prepare food or a side dish for the family. This becomes a helping hand for them too. When I used to be on office trips and while I was studying, I used to cook a lot. This time, I tried to prepare Gujarati Dhokla on the weekend. You can also help your family members by taking part in various family activities such as cleaning of the house, helping children in gaining different skills and helping them to study by helping them understand different concepts. I try to utilise as much time as I can to help my family in different types of work...from cutting vegetables to cleaning the house. One must also do yoga and exercise to stay fit during COVID-19 pandemic. Be Healthy - Be Safe - Be Happy 82

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Senthil Kumar

Managing Director

Leo Precision Products

My favourite activity is cooking. These days being out of work, I get engaged in trying our new recipes, something which I greatly enjoy.

Umesh Anand

Joint Managing Director HPL Additives Ltd.

I love the jungle and nature and look for any opportunity when I can go into the jungle or habitats that allow me to do wildlife, bird and nature photography which is a passion and a hobby that I have been pursuing over the last six years. I travel to the Indian jungles six to seven times a year and to Africa atleast once a year.

Vivek Soni

Regional Manager - North HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd.

Yoga with pranayama is one of the best stress busters and an activity which helps in physical and mental relaxation and is thus instrumental in rejuvenating myself. Lockdown due to the COVID pandemic has given me enough time to practice yoga on a daily basis which has helped me strengthen my mind and body. Every morning, I look forward to start my day with yoga under guidance from Yog Guru Baba Ramdev on television and spend atleast 40 minutes practicing various yoga asanas.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

SIVARAM SPEAKS

Molecular Recycling Technologies Enzymes

Efficient Conversion of Post-consumer PET to Terephthalic Acid

Polymers

New Virgin Polymers Monomers

Depolymerisation

Purification

Figure 3: Concept of a bio-recycling facility for PET. (Courtesy: https://www.carbios.fr/en/ technology/biorecycling/)

This discovery of enzyme technology brings bio-recycling

of waste PET to TPA within the realm of technical feasibility. Undoubtedly, more advances will be made to make the

enzymes more active and less expensive.

n the earlier issue of POLYMERS Communiqué (December 2019 - January 2020), I discussed the concept of molecular recycling technologies as a key

requirement for achieving the goals of a truly ‘circular economy’. The fact is that

we lack viable technologies, even to this day, for un-zipping polymer chains

Dr. S. Sivaram Former Director, CSIR-NCL Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

selectively to their constituent monomers. For example, take the case of

polyethylene terephthalate (PET); we can convert post-consumer waste to either

dimethyl terephthalate (DMT, methanolysis) or bis-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET, glycolysis), but not to the much-needed monomer grade terephthalic acid (TPA) by simple hydrolysis! (Refer Figure 1)

Now, there is a promise of an emerging technology to precisely accomplish the

latter, i.e. to re-generate TPA from PET. In a paper published in Nature a few months

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

enzymes that are capable of depolymerising

ago [1], researchers from France report that they

cutin [2].

have engineered an enzyme that can convert 90% of PET back into its pristine starting materials.

In 2012, researchers at Osaka University isolated

PET is one of the world’s most commonly used

plastics, with some 70 million tonnes produced

bacterium,

Ideonella

sakaiensis,

natural

microbial communities exposed to waste PET

annually. PET bottles are already widely recycled.

in the environment. From this strain of bacteria,

But the current approach has problems. A large part

they isolated two enzymes, which have high

of the post-consumer waste is typically turned into

resemblance to leaf-branch compost cutinase

carpets or fibres that eventually ends up in a landfill

(LLC) [3]. One of the enzymes degraded PET to

or get incinerated. Bottle-to-bottle recycling is still

BHET, whereas, the other to TPA and EG (Refer

beset with safety and quality issues. In the absence

Figure 2). However, these enzymes were very

of a viable route to re-generate TPA, chemical

slow in breaking the ester bond in PET and rapidly

recycling processes have not scaled up to meet the

At an enzyme

lost activity at 65° C, the temperature at which

availability of PET wastes.

concentration of

PET begins to soften, which allows the enzyme

To get around this problem, there has been an

to diffuse more easily into the polymer to reach

PET into its constituent monomers. Here, mother

Using enzyme technologies such as site-selective

2 mg per g of PET,

the ester bonds it seeks to break.

intense search for an enzyme that can break down nature appears to provide us the inspiration.

post-consumer PET waste was

mutagenesis and protein engineering, the French

hydrolysed to

group [1] generated hundreds of mutant enzymes

Enzyme Technology for Hydrolysis of PET

TPA with 90%

and screened them for the hydrolysis of PET.

efficiency in

Based on this, they were able to identify specific

The biggest challenge for early land plants would

have been desiccation, and so arguably the most

enzyme mutants that are 10,000 times more active

10 hours with

Furthermore, they were active at temperatures

productivity of

than LLC, the native enzyme found in nature.

critical evolutionary innovation to allow land

colonisation was the development of a specialised

an average

as high as 75° C. At an enzyme concentration of

epidermal cell wall in the form of a hydrophobic

17 g terephthalic

2 mg per g of PET, post-consumer PET waste was

skin, or cuticle, to limit water loss by transpiration.

acid per litre

hydrolysed to TPA with 90% efficiency in 10 hours

Consequently, cuticles are present on the outer

per hour.

with an average productivity of 17 g terephthalic

surfaces of almost all land plant aerial organs.

acid per litre per hour. It is estimated that the cost

Most cuticles are composed largely of cutin, an

of enzyme needed to hydrolyse 1 tonne of PET will

insoluble aliphatic polyester of primarily long-chain

be about 4% of the per-tonne price of the virgin

hydroxy fatty acids. Cutin is chemically stable and

PET. The recovered TPA, after some purification

resistant to decay, possibly even more so than

could be converted back to bottle grade PET using

lignin. The cuticle also represents the first line of

a conventional process with an intrinsic viscosity

defense against invasion by pathogens seeking to

of 0.75 dL per g after solid state polymerisation.

colonise aerial organs. Certain fungal and bacterial

One of the advantages of this process is that the

phytopathogens are known to secrete cutinases,

Chemical Recycling Glycolysis HOH2CH2CO O

Methanolysis

Hydrolysis C

O OCH2CH2OH

HO O

O OH

H2CO O

BHET

TPA

DMT

Oligomer

HOCH2CH2OH

Other Processes O OCH2

Aminolysis Ammonolysis

Figure 1: Chemical recycling of post-consumer PET. Hydrolysis is the most desirable process.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

PETase is secreted O

PET n

H2O PETase

MHET

H2O Uptake of MHET MHET is hydrolysed to the monomers O

Ethylene glycol

OH Terephthalic acid

The monomers are catabolised for growth

I. sakaiensis adheres to PET film Figure 2: Hydrolysis of PET by the enzyme, Ideonella sakaiensis.

enzyme can tolerate a mix of plastics containing

This discovery brings bio-recycling of waste PET

colours. This is because the engineered enzyme

Undoubtedly, more advances will be made to

ones other than PET, even PET bottles of different

selectively breaks only the ester bonds in PET and leaves the other components, such as other

polymers, dyes and additives, untouched. There are, however, few downsides to this process. The process of recovery and purification of TPA from

the process requires the use of large quantities of acids and bases, which generates sodium sulfate as the byproduct. A 1,00,000 tonnes per annum PET recycling plant will generate about

60,000 tonnes per year of sodium sulfate! The

process also appears incapable of recovering ethylene glycol, the other monomer.

Kick-starting this Initiative A French company, Carbios has announced that it will build a demonstration plant based on this

technology to establish its technical and economic

viability (Refer Figure 3). They have also announced

a partnership with Novozymes, a world leader in

make the enzymes more active and less expensive. Future efforts to identify and characterise new

cutinases, as well as the use of protein engineering, may lead to the development of newer enzymes that are better able to meet the needs of industrial applications.

References

1. An Engineered PET Depolymerase to Break Down and Recycle Plastic Bottles, V. Tournier,

C. M. Topham, A. Gilles , B. David , C. Folgoas, E. Moya-Leclair, E. Kamionka, M.-L. Desrousseaux, H. Texier, S. Gavalda, M. Cot , E. Guémard,

M. Dalibey, J. Nomme, G. Cioci, S. Barbe, M. Chateau, I. André, S. Duquesne & A. Marty, Nature, 2020, 580, 216-19.

2. The

Plant

Polyester

Cutin:

Biosynthesis,

Structure, and Biological Roles, E. A. Fich, N. A.

Segerson, and J. K.C. Rose, Annu. Rev. Plant Biol., 2016. 67, 207–33.

enzyme technologies, to scale up and commercially

3. A Bacterium that Degrades and Assimilates

has also stitched a consortium of companies such

T. Taniguchi, H. Yamaji, Y. Maeda, K. Toyohara,

produce the enzyme needed for this plant. Carbios as L’Oreal, Nestle, PepsiCo and Suntory beverages to support this venture.

to TPA within the realm of technical feasibility.

PET,

Yoshida,

Hiraga,

Takehana,

K. Miyamoto, Y. Kimura and K. Oda, Science, 2016, 351, 1196-99.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

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BondWith

The Global Markets

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A TRIBUTE

Shri Madhusudan Balvantrai Shah

An Inspirational Journey

Madhubhai, as he is fondly known by the

industry, will be long remembered for his

enthusiasm, entrepreneurship and servitude towards the plastics industry.

hri Madhusudan Balvantrai Shah was one of the most versatile plastics professionals turned successful entrepreneur, and respected by one

and all for his missionary service to the plastics industry. Till the end, he

remained an enthusiastic learner as well as a teacher of plastics all through his life. He was a first-class plastics technologist, with over 6 decades of wealth of experience in various plastics related fields, and was a well-known personality, both in the Indian plastics industry and globally, especially in Europe and Asia.

Knowledge-Seeking Shri Madhu Shah, Madhubhai to his friends, obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) degree

in 1956 from Bombay University. He then joined University Department of Chemical Technology (now ICT) and studied Plastics Technology under Prof. N. R. Kamat. He chose the little-known field of

plastics for making his career over other more popular career streams. This nature being different to others remained as

his characteristic throughout his life. He graduated from

UDCT obtaining B.Sc. (Tech) in Plastics Technology with first class in the year 1958.

In Loving Memory

Shri Madhusudan B. Shah 28th August, 1935 - 27th July, 2020

Your ideals: The Foundation

Your vision: A Guiding Light Your life: An Inspiration

We celebrate your legacy as we continue on the path you paved. Forever in fond remembrance The entire MADHU family

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

In his pursuit of gaining in-depth

First, it was a consultancy firm to help

he had benefitted all along. He was an

plastics processing factory. The hands-

after proper market survey and/or to

& Rubber Institute (Bombay Chapter) in

knowledge, he chose to work in a

on working experience on shop-floor helped

him

experiment

with

his

creativity to find innovative solutions to in

various

processes

relate

with

problems and

people.

encountered

build

Some

skills

his

early accomplishments were means

developed to segregate tonnes of plastics PS, PE, CA, CAB etc. - swept off the floor with non-plastic extraneous

materials into individual reusable plastics raw materials, producing LDPE film

for laminating on bituminised Hessian cloth, developing poly-sleeves for tea garden nurseries (tea-saplings). This

phase was followed by new product developments such as: NN

Direct

polycoated

jute

with

permissible low WVP, a challenge overcome by machine modifications and improved process technology on Zimmer NN

becomes

producer

top-class

product and remains competitive.

1991 onwards, his emphasis changed over to marketing. In view of his exposure to the international plastics industry,

could

easily

develop

business relationships especially with technocrat owned overseas companies producing

competitive

high-tech price.

products

Thus

born

was

Madhu Marketing & Services providing

innovative pioneering solutions and a quality supplier of machines, hot runner systems,

conventional

innovative

ancillaries / moulds and mould parts

along with complete tooled up projects;

Producing

rigid

PVC

clear

successful

of products.

commercialisation

1979,

joined

SLM-

Maneklal, where he took upon the

challenge of convincing entrepreneurs

to buy sophisticated automatic, but costly Kautex-Maneklal, blow moulding and

Toshiba-Maneklal

moulding

machines.

injection

designed

strong value-added customer support

services to help them succeed in new / existing ventures.

Having gained wide experience on product, people

processing

relationships

and

building

during

his

professional career, Madhubhai started

his entrepreneurial career in 1984.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Institute has been total. In recognition

of his contribution to the development of the plastics industry and services to the Plastics and Rubber Institute (Lond) and later to Indian Plastics Institute, he

was awarded AMPRI (Lond) in 1974,

FPRI (Lond) in 1984 and FIPI (Ind) in 2003. Another highlight was when

he was recognised by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce for having furthered and greatly influenced the Indo-Austrian

trade

for

equipment

used in the plastics industry in the year 2008. He was awarded the most prestigious

‘Lifetime

Award’ by IPI in 2013.

Achievement

of International Conference Committee

pioneering efforts, he is widely regarded industry evolution in India. industry,

Madhubhai

established

‘Technology Centre’ of Madhu Machines & Systems Pvt. Ltd. in Bengaluru. The

centre provides additional knowledge to students passing out from institutes

like NTTF, CIPET, IPI etc. on plastics machines,

innovative

ancillaries, hot runner systems, mould

Madhubhai

to the plastics industry and Plastics

Indian plastics industry. In view of his

processing

The Visionary

’70s. His dedication and commitment

He has actively served as Convener and

introduced for the first time in the

As a further service to the plastics

Producing blow moulded bottle

active member and Secretary of Plastics

many of these technologies being

meet stringent requirements

opaque bottles - product launch

the existing plants so that the company

Developing special polycoated /

crate (BEKUM) NN

upgrade the production technology in

as the ‘Father’ of the hot runner

sandwiched papers for defence to

entrepreneurs set up new projects

parts etc. The company, in its current

form, was established at Vadodara and

further expanded its manufacturing in Bengaluru since 2012 producing

speciality ancillaries, additional injection units and hot runner controllers under

its own brand for domestic and overseas markets. The company now has two manufacturing units in Bengaluru with service support infrastructure across

all major plastics industrial centres throughout the country.

An Industry Patron Madhubhai firmly believed in paying

back to the plastics industry from which

Chairman Vadodara Chapter, Chairman for two terms and President of IPI. He

was also Managing Committee member of Plastindia Foundation for 3 years

(2003 - 2006). He was Chairman of Education Committee of PIF during

the said period. He conducted 2-day programmes

‘Upgradation

Production Technology’ at Mumbai,

Kolkata and Chennai. He has also served as Paper Setter and Examiner

at UDCT and HBTI (Kanpur), as well as Hon. Lecturer at IIP, GIRDA and IPI. Madhubhai towards

the

greatly

contributed

conceptualisation

and

modernisation of the diploma (DIPI) course at Indian Plastics Institute.

A Complete Human Being... Throughout his life, Madhubhai was connected with various social service

activities and especially involved with Brahma Kumaris. His passion for singing and playing music kept him connected with finer joys of life.

Madhubhai will be long remembered

for his enthusiasm, entrepreneurship

and servitude towards the plastics industry.

0 9 9

Arvind Chawla Managing Director, Zahoransky Moulds and Machines Pvt. Ltd.

Arvind was always fascinated by machines and technology since the beginning of his career. This picture of 1990 was taken in front of the biggest EDM (Electric Discharge Machine) then. He continues to marvel the industry with his skills even today.

Change being the only constant, we thought it

would be wonderful to capture this and freeze

‘time’. We associate with the ‘current look’ of

our industry colleagues and would it not be

exciting to know of their persona, decades

ago. That’s what we did, had them dig deep into their archives and share this just for your ‘read’... or should we say ‘see’!

A visual delight!

S. Ramakrishnan Managing Director, Buildmet Fibres

It’s been FIBC for a while now for S. Ramakrishnan. This 1995 picture at Hamburg captures him during one of his marketing trips as General Manager. A long, eventful and successful journey from GM to MD at Buildmet Fibres!

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Premjeet Saggu

Director, Sikora India Pvt. Ltd.

‘Aggression with a smile’ is a trademark of Premjeet. A Sales Engineer in 1995 at Control Print India Ltd., he is today spearheading operations of Sikora India as Director. He is the unmistakable face of many industry relationships.

S. M. Minocha Managing Director, Minocha Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

This is truly a classical retro picture, Bollywood style! Over half a century old, this 1968 picture shows S. M. Minocha as Partner at Minocha Button Store (distributor of Polychem Ltd., manufacturers of polystyrene), clearly envisioning the role that plastics would play for him in future.

Dr. Gita Bendale Managing Director, Valtris Specialty Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd.

Gita comes with stupendous 26 years of experience in production of various types of stabilisers, with the same charm. This 1994 picture was when Gita completed her Doctorate in chemistry specialisation in polymer chemistry from UDCT, Mumbai (Now ICT). POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

BUILDING DREAMS

Stadiums Today S

tadiums have been evolving from one sport

Inconceivable Without Plastics

enclosures

multi-use

venue

with an additional need to meet the

demands of the new era of media interaction and broadcasting.

This single intention has paved the road for plastics. Known for its flexibility, durability and

cost-effectiveness, plastics and its derivatives

in the form of PTFE (polytetraflouroethylene) roofs,

HDPE

covers,

moulded

seats

and

artificial turf to name a few, have changed the functionality and design of stadiums.

Plastics play an exciting and growing role in building and construction

Known for its flexibility, durability and cost-effectiveness, plastics and its

derivatives in the form of PTFE roofs, HDPE covers, moulded seats and artificial turf to name a few, have changed the functionality and design of stadiums.

Plastics play an exciting and growing role in building and construction industry, which is its second highest consumer, after packaging.

Namrata Shetty Consultant Architect SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

industry, which is its second highest

temperature and light.

given the drive to find innovative and

consumer, after packaging. Particularly

out-of-the-box designs with improved environmental and energy efficiency, plastics have clearly outrun all other

traditional building materials like metal, wood, stone etc. in terms of flexibility, low-cost,

energy

and

weathering

efficiency and durability.

Once a

equipped

roof,

stadium with

the

grass

does not receive light and

nutrients

thereby

evenly,

affecting

its

growth. A change in the

field condition affects the

play. Artificial turf steps in

as a solution. It is made up of

Roofing

polypropylene and polyethylene

When stadiums were first developed,

strips anchored into suitable base

enclosures for the athletes to play and

Even though the initial investment

But today, with extended usage to

lesser

entertainment like rock concerts, a

consumption balances it out. If due to

elements

has to be fully covered, then artificial

provide

like rubber granules, sand infill etc.

little attention was given to spectators.

is high, the other advantages like

all weather sports and more diverse

aesthetics

need for some protection from the

hostile weather conditions a stadium

important. Especially, the roof covering.

turf is the only solution.

minimum

Turf Protectors

the

main

focus

all

was

year

round

became

To cover the expanse of a stadium with visual

interruption

would

have been difficult to achieve without

the flexibility of plastics. Plastics in the form of PVC sheets and PTFE overruled the disadvantages of concrete and glass in terms of light weight and

better luminosity. Since then, most modern stadiums have opted for either

polycarbonate roofing, a lightweight transparent material or PTFE, a class of

plastics. PTFE can withstand extreme temperatures; a few drops of rain suffice to clean it off and has a lifetime close

to 30 years. It has a typical daylight transmission of 9% to 18%. Major benefit is that it can be applied to any

geometry and do not dictate the shape of

the

stadium,

thereby

rendering

a distinctive character and identity for every stadium.

stadium

roofs

multi-use

consistent

reduced

water

stadium

allows

for

that the facilities are unused. In other

words, the goal of multi-use stadium is to maximise event days, giving the

owner more opportunity for profit.

In a stadium, the pitch area plays an important role in space available for congregation.

Therefore,

protecting the pitch becomes very important. The entry of turf protectors

has drastically increased the utilisation of the pitch area. They consist of modular sheets made of HDPE (high

density polyethylene). HDPE is the most

versatile

were

inevitable,

plastics

they

are impact resistant, have high load bearing capacity, lightweight for easy

facing

new challenge with the natural turf.

Natural grass is considered a small ecosystem in itself that is sensitive to the immediate environment - weather,

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

for preferring HDPE for turf protection is

because

quality;

process

they

their

don’t

translucent

obstruct

photosynthesis

for

the

natural grass which is covered, which rules out the withering of the turf, preventing damage.

Offering

spectators

comfortable

seating goes a long way in providing a pleasurable live event experience. The

the choice of moulded HDPE seats

minimum number of days of the year

mass

Spectator Seating

overall cost is a major factor influencing

100% recyclable. The biggest advantage

becoming

designers

and

movement, smooth, hazard-free and

Artificial Turf With

maintenance,

over traditional wooden, aluminium or

steel

working plastic

bleachers.

seats

weatherproof,

favour are

Other of

them

lightweight,

replace and availability

factors

moulded being

easy

in a variety of colours. Moulded seats are also comfortable,

durable

and easy to dry in case of rainy conditions.

PTFE can

withstand extreme

temperatures; a

few drops of rain suffice to clean

Facade Treatment

it off and has a

As very big structures

lifetime close to

30 years. It has a

require a good facade

transmission of

attracting attention, design.

lot

stadiums

typical daylight

Designers

9% to 18%.

have not been shy about attacking this

problem head-on, resulting in many spectacularly

designed

and

built

stadiums, many with their own unique

features. The facade of a stadium is the most dominating of all the exterior

elements. It sets expectations and defines the feel of the overall structure.

Particularly given the drive to find innovative and out-of-the-box designs with improved environmental and energy efficiency, plastics have clearly outrun all other traditional building materials like metal, wood, stone etc. in terms of flexibility, low-cost, energy and weathering efficiency and durability.

ETFE

(ethylene

tetrafluoroethylene).

transparent

lightweight

and

polymer,

exactly the same as PTFE,

but

lesser

strength.

It is essentially a polymer

Teflon

and

created by taking the polymer

can

also

help

achieve the goal of blending in with the

surroundings

standing

out

from the crowd. It also plays a crucial

role in light transmittance, acoustic performance and energy-efficiency. The latest innovation in facade covering

resin and extruding it into a thin film.

It is largely used as a replacement for

less dead load on the supporting structure,

therefore

improving

cost

savings. It can be lit internally with LED lighting to make them glow or

projected onto externally like a giant cinema

screen,

creating

dramatic

results. The external facade of Munich

Allianz Arena which hosted various games during 2006 World Cup has been covered with ETFE covering.

property as it can transmit upto 95% of

Plastics, an Empowered Material

1% of the weight of glass. This, in

the vision of owners, designers and

glazing due to its high light transmission light, while weighing approximately

turn, enables a reduction of structural

framework and imposes significantly

Plastics, therefore, has revolutionised operators towards stadium infrastructure and its multi-use potential.

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POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Waste is a Resource

at the Wrong Place

‘Waste business’ domain covers all the products, processes or solutions that help in tackling,

managing, transforming, recreating, recovering

etc. waste or resources there from. The business is very big if this concept is applied to a

plethora of activities,” elucidates S. B. Dangayach in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. Do you see that the positioning of ‘waste’ in the minds of people and industry alike needs to radically change for us to solve the problem? Waste is unwanted or unusable material. Waste

synonymous

with

material

or entity that has no value. However,

we find waste of one is resource for another after suitable treatment or transformation. Thus, it is the right time

to look at waste as a resource at the wrong place.

S. B. Dangayach Director Sintex Group of Companies Ahmedabad Co-founder Innovative Thought Forum Ahmedabad

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

Some articles don’t have a shelf-life. Over the next issues, we will pick a select few for your ready-read in our recently launched ‘Archives’ section. Article published on an as-is basis.

Successful

societies

have

tried

Air pollution

Industrial wastes

Hazardous wastes

fur etc.

Medical wastes

Skins / hides of animals into leather

e-Wastes

Construction and demolition (C&D)

convert wastes into resources. Some examples include: NN

Hair of sheep or animals into wool,

and products thereof. NN

Cow dung into fuel or plastering material.

Human hair waste into wigs, hair products or amino acids

Salts from chemical factory into gypsum

PET waste into pillows, rugs etc.

Q. What role can academia play to tackle this issue at the grassroots level? It can look at the wastes afflicting our society or country. They can think in

terms of evolving suitable processes, technologies, equipment or practices that can help us to create appropriate business models. Once suitable pilots are

done

and

demonstrations

put

up, these efforts can be scaled up for widespread adoption and use.

Q. ‘Waste Management’, what sort of a business opportunity is this for the industry? ‘Waste business’ domain covers all

wastes

help

transforming,

tackling,

recreating,

managing,

recovering

applied to a plethora of activities. Soaps and detergents is a simple example as much as toothpaste. All these products

wonder

certainly

materials.

family

continue

believe that our habit of littering

principle is applied. At every stage,

segregating wastes into wet, dry or

up big opportunities. The concept

As a part of our uncivil practices, we

momentum, which revolves around

unwanted and waste materials in

through use of appropriate process

cleaned / cleared by people from

Recycle, Reuse, Recover and Recreate)

and not adhering to the discipline of

techno-economic

throws

hazardous is responsible for the mess.

of ‘circular economy’ is now gaining

have continued to litter and throw

conversion of each waste into resource

public places, expecting them to be

or technology.

lower sections of the society. Since

Q. Would you like to share any promising business areas as far as upcycling is concerned?

we are persisting with this practice,

evaluation

I see big scope for the following:

we have not been held accountable, which has to be corrected at all levels through awareness, education, legislation, penalties etc.

We have to all realise that each one of

Treatment of sewage for use in

Biomethanation of animal waste,

Gasification

Manufacture of various products

value of waste will be automatically

from C&D waste.

the thermal plants and now it is a great

etc. waste or resources there from. The business is very big if this concept is

Plastics

The scope is enormous if 5 R (Reduce,

the products, processes or solutions that

Q. The wonder material ‘plastics’ which has successfully transformed the way we all live, yet sees itself constantly fighting battles for a clear public image. Your thoughts on the way forward.

agriculture and industry.

food waste and kitchen waste. of

generation of power.

biomass

for

like pavers, tiles, building blocks etc.

Mixing of plastic waste in bitumen or manufacture of geosynthetics for road construction.

Recovery of valuable resources from e-waste.

us is a waste generator and has to pay for its proper management.

Q. Understanding value of waste. Do you see this as a special skill? Once business models are developed, understood. Fly ash was a pain for all

revenue earner as it has been converted into useful resources. Gobar (cow dung)

fetches nominal price right now which will go up the moment value-added

products like fertilizers are developed and mainstreamed in the market.

Q. An incident that changed your approach towards waste management and recycling.

fall in waste business segment as they

Fly ash used to be a problem around

Q. The industry faces a big challenge of cost-effective and efficient recycling. What message do you wish to give the industry?

water or air absorb due to our activities.

Mission by the Government of India,

waste recycling. It processes around one

The list is indeed very long, but the

cement

help us in cleaning wastes that our

body produces. Water treatment or air purification are other areas that squarely help us in cleaning up the wastes that

prominent ones are: NN

Municipal solid waste

Sewage and wastewater

25 years back. After formation of Fly Ash

Dhoraji is a renowned cluster for plastic

it has been put into great use in

lakh tonnes of waste a year - all through

and

construction

products.

Today, over 50% of fly ash is utilised for this purpose. Fly ash - a problem of yesteryears - is now a resource.

private initiatives. If there is a successful

Dhoraji model in operation for decades,

why can we not have many such clusters across the country?

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

A simple thing

Plastic

wastes

films

can

replacement

specifications

that comes to my mind is ‘bin as billboard’. If

successfully used in road construction as

additives

bitumen. of

new

road

set

can

construction

demand

that

use for

this is done by ‘waste

entrepreneurs’, the overall financial model can be

plastic

waste of films lying all around can be

quite attractive.

converted into a foam that goes for all road construction in the country.

Likewise, each and every application can

successful standards

taken

through

demonstration,

incorporating

and

them

route

drawing

specifications, in

relevant

projects for scaling up or spreading the use.

collection and processing. I believe, PET bottles are collected to a large extent

the

price

realised

for

compacted / baled waste is higher than the costs to motivate people in this business.

If we can apply our mind and reduce overall costs of collecting and delivering

will need combination of waste bins

plastic wastes of other types to a level

way and creation of markets of products

solve the problem to a great extent.

at all places, transfer in a segregated

acceptable to the converter, we can

of waste materials.

I believe, there are technologies that

A simple thing that comes to my mind

is ‘bin as billboard’. If this is done by ‘waste

entrepreneurs’,

the

overall

can help compounding and improving properties of wastes. These should be studied in greater detail.

financial model can be quite attractive.

Overall, we have to think how ‘waste

source into dry and wet. Herein, again

themselves in plastics and how can

business models can be developed by

Q. Do you envisage any new technologies that could impact this industry in the near future?

‘waste entrepreneurs’ or ‘Swachh Bharat entrepreneurs’. Segregation at source

technologies

Our plastics industry should aggressively push

and

promote

segregation

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

have

develop for

appropriate

decentralised

entrepreneurs’ are motivated to involve they run their operations profitably.

If the bottom line is good, the sector will attract many bright and innovative entrepreneurs.

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POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

STEPPING STONES

An Initiative Supported By

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

Returning to Office or Work from Home Handling Challenges

COVID-19 disruption has created some challenges for both, the

employers and the employees. These need to be addressed in a world that is witnessing

changes which are

bound to impact the

economic performance of organisations.

he COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption in the way

organisations work, and much more than that, how people work, how they perceive their situation and how their relationship to the workplace has

Rakesh Shah RS Coaching and Consulting New Delhi

been transforming. This disruption has created some challenges for both, the employers and the employees. These need to be addressed in a world that is witnessing changes which are bound to impact the economic performance of

organisations, while also affecting in different ways how the workforce must find new adjustments, both in their working methods and in their minds.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

Concerns and Challenges In the west, there have been more focused studies on the workforce behaviour and their future

preferences than we find in India. However, it is

quite clear that the studies are largely around

the white-collared and information technology workers. The fact is that the largest number of employees are in manufacturing and variety of

other roles such as logistics, security, transportation, delivery of goods and so on where physical presence of the workers is a must.

Of the workers who worked from home during

the pandemic, there are clearly two types. Those engaged in IT platforms, programming, statistical and data collection / collation and reporting and

other such jobs have been fairly used to working

from home. For many others, this is the first time.

And while still working from home, the

employees

need to remain

very disciplined and totally

professional. This will help easy

transition while

going back to the workplace.

better work-life balance, a great number of people

are experiencing difficulty in controlling time and detaching from the domestic interferences. Most people live in small spaces and complete isolation

which provides a truly professional atmosphere becomes impossible.

Long Working Hours Most people report longer working hours than before. WFH feels like round the clock availability

to the bosses, peers, customers and other business associates alike. This results in endless video meetings on whichever platform and becomes

tiring and a definite irritant. Clocking out becomes very difficult. It is like the mobile phone that

engages you in the same way. This situation can lead to early burnout.

Correspondingly, they have different perspectives

Loss of Sense of Performance

work from home. For them, the period of comfort

colleagues leads to a sense of being lost. There is

on whether to go back to office or continue to

The inability to interact with the bosses and

and euphoria offered by working from home and

constant anxiety about the future security of job.

having ‘full freedom’ is gradually coming to a close. Some of the issues that have started to cause concerns for them are as mentioned here.

Uncertainty About the Future Many people have no idea about how their work is been seen by the employers in the absence of

This gets further accentuated when one learns

of a colleague having been sacked for whatever reasons. A pat on the back, a small celebration at

the office, a little reprimand and some personal mentoring on both sides of one’s position are all being badly missed.

any personal feedback. They also have no idea any

Access to Information

the current averages of performance in the

areas of data storage are not available due to data

more how they are performing in relation to

There is less access to information and many

organisation. They do not know whether they

security concerns of the employers.

are being perceived as redundant and worry about job security.

Absence of Structure For many, it is important to work in a structured environment such as the one offered by their

workplace. They feel lost without peer support, a tea break in which to unwind or knock off their concerns with colleagues.

Inability to Control Time While many people feel that they are experiencing

Feeling Disconnected Many

people

feel

disconnected

from

the

organisation and will have the feeling of starting afresh even within the same workplace and peer

group. Certain amount of disorientation may also happen to many. These issues will need to be appropriately addressed.

Some clear advantages are of course also there. The most important ones are avoidance of commuting, leading to huge saving of time

It will be prudent for employers to very carefully evaluate the redundancies and job cuts before moving swiftly out of new

enthusiasm caused by an unusual situation.

100

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

#Business Beyond COVID-19 for Plastics

An Initiative Supported By

and work-life balance. Large number of people

have also reported less stress, while there has also been a rise in the need for psychiatric support

This can be a very serious matter in most cases.

And More...

to many.

Another victim can be the work culture and the

Employers’ Concerns

have proven to be their important hallmarks, even

Employers

also

have

values most companies hold very dear and which

certain

concerns

and

need to take appropriate actions. Some of the concerns are as follows:

Data Security

brands. Factory situations will entail, in addition, may other challenges.

Getting the Act Together Many workers have been partially laid off and

This tops the list of concerns for the employers.

many manufacturing organisations have been

companies tend to limit the access to a lot of

social distancing and due to commuting issues,

and locations.

to full capacity will lead to handling these

but

working with less workers in order to maintain

confidential and sensitive data from all laptops

as well as the location of workers. The return

Cloud

data

storage

has

helped

lot,

challenges effectively.

Discipline Employers can’t be sure of how long the tea breaks are becoming and whether some of the company time is being used to watch a

movie. Employers experience that fresh from college

employees

are

susceptible

be out of time discipline in WFH environment.

Training

There will be need for greater automation and

increasing use of robotics, IoT, blockchain and AI tools. Industry 4.0 practices will need to be

speeded up. This may lead to some redundancy for

temporary

period.

Eventually,

higher

generation of wealth and birth of many new

businesses to support those changes will expand employment. However, these paradigm shifts

Many jobs need a certain amount of on-the-job

will require large scale retraining, upskilling,

tools for training and upskilling are being used,

Companies need to be ready and prepared to

the trainer and the trainee.

Many business leaders have reported that they

training with peer or supervisory support. New

employee

but it will take time for adaptation for both,

invest in these activities.

It is not easy to keep the employees fully and

and

redeployment.

realised they were able to do quite well with

Communication motivated

evaluation

engaged

without

appropriate

encouragement and appreciation. Mentoring is also

required in many cases. Emails and video calls are

good, but fall very short of the personal interactions.

Employee Security

much leaner staff forced by the lockdowns. They are, therefore, looking at redundancies with the general impression that they have been

wasteful in creating overemployment. This can be misleading, as in most cases, the workload was also much less during the lockdown and there

was a general slowing down of economies. It will

When the employees come back to work in the

prudent

space requirements. Central air conditioning may

swiftly out of new enthusiasm caused by an

need to be installed. Sanitisation of all the

Making a Come Back

big challenge and a cognisable cost.

The foregoing indicates that both, the employers

Side Businesses

offices, social distancing will mean much bigger

redundancies

be dangerous and medical grade air filtration may

unusual situation.

facilities and equipment will certainly be a very

Companies also may have the fear that many

employees may indulge in side businesses and/or

jobs when working from home. This may lead to

fall in the employee performance and engagement.

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

and

very

job

carefully cuts

evaluate

before

the

moving

and the employees, need to prepare for return the

workplaces.

And

while

still

working

from home, the employees need to remain

very disciplined and totally professional. This will help easy transition while going back to the workplace.

101

RETHINK

o, what’s there in a name? Well, a lot. Consider ‘microplastics’.

Since the ‘Big Bang’ moment, planet earth is covered

with numerous microparticles. These may not have

significantly impacted living organisms till such

time anthropogenic sources became a significant contributor. There are, however, references of dust

particles engulfing the planet after a meteoric strike wiping out the dinosaurs. Today, different types of

microparticles are floating in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and present in the cryosphere. Some of

these are microplastics. Many are not. These are dust, ash, soot, pollen and other microparticles that are harmful to human being at high concentration. Let us focus on microplastics.

Though the first truly synthetic plastic, Phenol Formaldehyde (PF), was invented in 1907, major

boost in the demand for plastics came during the mid-twentieth

What’s There in a

Name!!

As per SAPEA report, “Little is known with

respect to the human health risks of NMPs

(nano and microplastics), and what is known is surrounded by considerable uncertainty; however, the relevant conclusion of this

working group is that we have no evidence of widespread risk to human health from NMPs (plastics of sizes below 5 mm) at present.” S. K. Ray Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE) Mumbai

102

century.

Few

decades

later,

first

mention of ‘microplastics’ in academic and scientific circles in early seventies did not evoke any major

curiosity. This changed at the dawn of the twenty-first

century. Gripping images of world’s flora and fauna affected by plastic litter shook up the collective

conscious of humanity and ‘plastic pollution’ moved centre stage in all environmental discourse. What followed

subsequently

in microplastics.

was

frenzied

interest

This should not come as a surprise. Rapid growth of

population and increased consumerism led to higher

material, energy and water intensities in societies across the world. It consequently led to higher

per capita generation of waste, particularly in the developed world. Higher volume to weight ratio of

plastics, as compared to most traditional materials,

magnified visibility of plastics in the waste streams. Use of plastics, in the meanwhile, surpassed that of metals and glass further compounding the

visual impact of plastic pollution. While the focus rapidly intensified on plastic litter, concerns about microplastics also started surfacing in the scientific, academic and public domain.

Sizing Microplastics In early days, a clear definition of ‘microplastics’ was

missing. It continues to defy a universally accepted definition. The broad consensus is to include any

POLYMERS Communiqué l June - July 2020

plastic particle of less than 5 mm

of fish and can reach the intestinal

and microplastics), and what is known is

microplastics. Sizes larger than this is

the overall body burden. This needs

however, the relevant conclusion of

diameter

the