PackMach Asia Expo 2025: Balancing cost, compliance, and sustainability

On 13 November, an in-depth panel discussion transpired at the PackMach Asia Expo and DrinkTec India 2025. The panel session, Balancing Sustainability, Compliance, and Cost in Packaging Choices, brought together leaders from the pharmaceutical, FMCG, and food sectors who argued that achieving this balance is not a single fix, but a strategic integration of design innovation, technological adoption, and shifts in consumer mindset.

The discussion was moderated by Dr Ainain Shahidi of 4 Sixes Packaging and Marketing and featured a diverse group of panellists: Nidhi Basundhara of Jyothy Labs, Bipin Odhekar of Marico, J Shridhar of Pure Play, Rahul Choudhary of Britannia Industries, and Manjunath Nadella of Strides Pharma Science.

The four pillars of pharmaceutical sustainability
Manjunath Nadella, who represents the heavily regulated pharmaceutical domain, dismantled the myth that sustainability is limited solely to packaging design. He proposed that successful packaging sustainability rests on four interconnected pillars, emphasising smart usage and cost reduction, which is critical given recent price regulations in generic markets.

The first pillar is packaging design and development. Nadella stressed that cost can be significantly reduced by eliminating over-engineered designs, such as excess headspace in bottles or cartons. This requires packaging scientists to be cautious with the right specifications to avoid unnecessary material use. The second pillar is sustainable packaging solutions, which involves eliminating non-recyclable materials like PVC from common packs, such as blisters, and moving to alternatives like polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) blisters.

The third pillar is leveraging technology. Nadella gave an example of eliminating paper Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) by using QR codes on packs. He noted that producing one tonne of paper requires cutting down several trees, underscoring the environmental impact that digital substitution can solve. 

The fourth and final pillar is operations. He stressed that implementing robotic technology to eliminate the “huge number of human hours” used in primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging makes the sustainability goal achievable without compromising performance.

Cost perception and economic reality
The industry often perceives sustainable materials as inherently expensive, a notion Rahul Choudhary of Britannia Industries argued is “a bit of both” perception and reality. He called for a shift in mindset, stating, “We have to teach our minds that sustainability is not always about cost. It can be brought to parity; it could be cheaper.”

Choudhary suggested that manufacturers often miscalculate the cost of non-sustainable packaging by focusing solely on component price rather than the broader economic picture. He noted, “Do not look at your packaging cost only from the component perspective.” 

He argued that the cost-benefit analysis must include extended producer responsibility (EPR) compliance fees and the potential for volume growth driven by consumer preference for sustainable brands. 

He acknowledged that the lack of ecosystem readiness — such as the limited number of FSSAI-listed companies providing food-grade recycled content (rPET) — is a real challenge, but argued that increased investment is rapidly closing this gap, making the “on-cost” barrier a temporary incubation period.

Adding a structural approach to cost management, Nidhi Basundhara of Jyothy Labs likened business to a ‘bucket’ and cost pressures as ‘leaks.’ She advocated for finding these leaks through operational efficiencies across the entire supply chain to generate the funds necessary to invest in sustainable packaging. 

She acknowledged that sustainability comes with an investment, but that strategy must align with business goals. She suggested that short-term cost pressures can be offset by focusing on operational efficiencies throughout the supply chain and by creating a closed-loop system. 

She emphasised that for the long-term vision to succeed, companies and the government must educate consumers on proper segregation and recycling practices, which would, in turn, reduce the cost of obtaining high-quality recycled material for use in new packaging.

Technology, material innovation, and design
The panellists consistently identified technology and material innovation as the most critical levers for overcoming cost and compliance hurdles.

J Shridhar of Pure Play highlighted how the synergistic blend of material, technology, and strategic partnership can significantly reduce costs and waste. He cited the company’s transition to In-Mould Labelling (IML) on PET bottles — a first in the D2C space — as a game-changer. This move eliminated silicone releases and adhesive use. Shridhar remarked, “We have eliminated the adhesive, and 65% label material has been reduced.” He added, “There is a 50% reduction in the freight of the vehicle transportation.”

Basundhara further elaborated on the role of technology, from using AI in packaging design and recycling to rationalising shipper sizes and container fill rates and implementing Infrared (IR) scanners to increase the speed and accuracy of material segregation. “Technologically, it will be faster, it will be more accurate. We will be saving on the overhead of getting a recycled container,” she explained.

Focusing specifically on design, Nadella explained that in pharmaceuticals, optimisation is key. He demonstrated how a simple redesign to flatten a conical bottle could reduce packaging material by 20% by eliminating unnecessary headspace, or how a change in the cap design could remove a small plastic inner seal, thereby reducing overall plastic use.

The role of policymakers
Bipin Odhekar of Marico, speaking from his experience in policy-making, stressed that the industry should move away from viewing sustainability as a parallel function and instead integrate it into every department’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

He advocated for using a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to create an ‘eco-index’ for every product, which would outline its environmental impact. This data, he argued, can then be presented to design, operations, and procurement teams, challenging them to contribute to reducing the environmental impact from their respective areas.

The consensus among industry leaders was clear: balancing sustainability, cost, and compliance is not a matter of compromise, but of strategic, data-driven innovation across the entire product lifecycle, from initial design to end-of-life management.