Summer Challenge for Indian Beverages Industry
As consumers, we are often bombarded with information about using less plastic, recycling plastic, etc,. How does this look from the perspective of industry? Teens at the club, looked deeper.
Come summer, all of us think of cold juices and beverages to help us cool off the heat. From the beverages industry point of view, this is a golden time for business. But they have a major challenge this summer. A government rule expects them to use plastic bottles for packaging in which 30% of the plastic is recycled plastic, starting this year. Gradually the percentage will be increased over the years. While this sounds like a great initiative from a common person’s point of view, from the industry perspective, it is not as simple.
A government rule expects them to use plastic bottles for packaging in which 30% of the plastic is recycled plastic, starting this year. Gradually the percentage will be increased over the years.
7 out of every 10 beverages sold in India is packaged in plastic bottles. Recycling those plastic bottles to be reused for food isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Recycled PET plastic, the kinds that is used or plastic bottles, isn’t safe for holding food. While segregation initiatives are picking up, a lot of plastic bottles land in the garbage dumps. Kabbadiwalas help separate out plastic bottles from wet garbage. But these are likely to be lined with toxins and it is impossible without sophisticated technology such AI to pick the ones that can be safely recycled. Even if that is done, it is extremely difficult to make recycled plastic that is food grade. Read a well written brief here.
Recycled PET plastic, the kinds that is used or plastic bottles, isn’t safe for holding food. While segregation initiatives are picking up, a lot of plastic bottles land in the garbage dumps. Kabbadiwalas help separate out plastic bottles from wet garbage.
The no. of facilities equipped with the facility to make food grade plastic using recycled plastic are few in number and cannot meet the huge demand. There is less incentive to invest in these facilities as there is little promise of sustained demand. Plus it is possible that the price of plastic could go back. After all making food grade plastic from recycled plastic isn’t easy. That would impact price of packaging and eventually get passed on to customers. One small step in what seems like the right direction, is not as easy as it seems. It has multiple repercussions making it amply clear that change will have to be slow and not drastic.
One small step in what seems like the right direction, is not as easy as it seems. It has multiple repercussions making it amply clear that change will have to be slow and not drastic.
A classic example of why critical thinking is important so that we don’t confine ourselves to one perspective alone.
We have learnt to reduce the use of plastic as much as possible. We have learnt to segregate, but some still haven’t understood the need. Any green initiative to recycle plastic is welcome with some much enthusiasm. This challenge that the industry faces impacts us as consumers. Yet, somehow it is so easy to be unaware. We may not think twice before we pick up a bottle of water or juice or some beverage in a plastic bottle. We would tell ourselves that we will throw it in the recycle bin and all is well. The matter is much bigger than that. The silver lining is that the matter is being analyzed in some news channels and hopefully will gain enough traction to find an efficient and workable resolution.
The teens at the club were asked to pick a role of their choice from the list of team members meeting at a company’s office to discuss this challenge:
CEO of the company
Talk about how the government rule that is going to be implemented starting this April and what it could mean for the company.
Material Manager:
Take on the role of someone who makes sure the company gets the right materials. Discuss the challenge of finding safe, recycled plastic to use in products.
Scientist in consultation:
Enable the team to understand why all recycled plastic is not food grade and hence potentially harmful to customers.
A retail distributor
Helps the team to identify challenges involved with alternatives such as glass bottles.
A focus group member (focus groups comprise of potential customers who are invited to try out a new product):
State preference for plastic bottle/cans/cartons/glass bottles.
Eco-Warrior
Offers sustainable options that can be considered.
Stay tuned next week to discover what the teens find from their research and the resolution that they arrive at to tide over the challenge facing the beverage company, in which they are a team.
The teen members, last week were given time to research, analyze information, form inferences and opinions as a means to prep for their upcoming meeting/group discussion.
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