Leading consumer products companies such as Coca-Cola India, PepsiCo India and Bisleri among others have decided to come together to launch a first-of-its-kind packaging waste management venture in the country. The venture, which is called Karo Sambhav, will focus on creating a formal eco-system for collection of post-consumer packaging and optimising material recycling processes.
Developed by industry body Packaging Association for Clean Environment (PACE) over the past year, Karo Sambhav is producer-led and owned venture that aims to ensure that no recyclable packaging material ends up in landfills by 2025.
“The other companies that have committed to joining hands for this venture include Diageo, Parle Agro, Manjushree, Reliance Industries, SC Johnson, IVL-Dhunseri, Pearl Drinks, Varun Beverages Ltd and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd,” PACE said on Thursday.
Vimal Kedia, President, PACE said, “This venture aims to mobilise and converge assets and resources of over ₹1,000 crore towards the common goal of recycling all packaging material by 2025.” This will include existing as well as fresh investments of the members.
The venture plans to begin with setting up collection systems while simultaneously setting up a network of 125 material recovery systems across the country which will work with 2,500 aggregators over the next three years. Officials said the focus will be on convergence of existing recycling initiatives and resources of its existing members while developing common standards for packaging material waste management.
“We are happy to be a part of this landmark venture where we are co-creating solutions for a sustainable future. This will enable set-up of state-of the-art sorting and recycling facilities across the country,” said Angelo George, CEO Bisleri.
T Krishnakumar, President, Coca-Cola India and South-West Asia added, “Through our vision, World Without Waste, we want to ensure that all our packaging material goes for recycling and not to landfills. This is a journey that we must undertake with our peers in the industry to make it more tangible, rigorous and scalable. We’re happy to partake in the launch and subsequent operations of the new producer led venture.”
FMCG companies especially beverage firms have met with various government officials and have been stating that nearly 90 per cent of the PET bottles are recycled and have been pushing for keeping 200 ml bottles out of the products that are likely to be banned.