India's Bold Move: Embracing Recycled Content in Food-Grade Packaging

The Association of PET Recyclers (Bharat) has lauded the government's new guidelines mandating the use of 40% recycled content in food-grade packaging starting April 1, viewing it as a 'progressive step'. This initiative is expected to ease supply chain disruptions linked to geopolitical uncertainties affecting virgin PET's availability and pricing.

According to Goutham Jain, the Director General of the Association, this milestone signifies India's commitment to sustainable resource management. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change mandates this change to boost the adoption of recycled PET (rPET) in the food and beverage sector, which is set to create significant demand for high-quality recycled materials.

Starting April 1, brands are required to use 40% recycled content and can carry forward any shortfall from the previous fiscal year's 30% mandate. This initiative supports the circular economy, reduces plastic waste, and decreases dependency on virgin plastics. Furthermore, the recent authorization of 17 rPET manufacturing plants by FSSAI unlocks a 3-lakh tonne capacity, aiding India's circular packaging economy.