Pack.Nxt emphasises on combining smart and sustainable packaging

The day began by hitting straight at the sweet spot; a panel discussion on “Packaging at crossroads: Smart, digital and sustainable as one.” Moderated by Yogesh Sharma of KMPG India, the panel uncovered what measures are being taken in the account of using sustainable and smart packaging as a single unit.

Anurag Mishra of Shree Renuka Sugars said that sustainability is nothing if it doesn’t add any value, be it sustainable process, manufacturing or packaging. Sanjay Ghoshal of Diageo India concurred by saying, yes, it has to tick all the boxes— How do you be sustainable and how do you manage costs at the same time? Striking the right balance between people, price and planet.

Mahesh Salunkhe of Packaging Industry Association of India told the audience that sustainability is the factor that should be incorporated right from the design stage. These involve considering various parameters right from the start such as material reduction and cost.

Sri Krishnan J of Flipkart touched upon the aspect of cube utilisation. He said Flipkart uses ML models to determine different sizes of boxes to be used for all of its multiple SKUs. Through this, the company could come up with 40 different sizes of box to be used in packaging. Flipkart follows a circular system where the scrap generated is sent back to the producer.

Ghoshal mentioned that through the help of AI and ML, waste is being segregated and such systems are in place. He said that awareness in India among consumers is less, creating problems in waste collection and management. Mishra added, “This becomes a collective responsibility of everyone involved, such as consumers, government, and producer or manufacturer.”