4th Roundtable – Brand Owner’s Meet
“Quantitative and Qualitative determination of Recycled pe content in post-consumer recycled blends & Recycling process of post-consumer flexible pe waste Along with a use case study in food contact application”
In our ongoing series to create a culture of knowledge sharing, Plastic Packaging Research and Development Centre (PPRDC) has organized half-a-day technology round-table discussion on the 10th of May, 2024 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Man Singh Road, New Delhi. The objectives of these technology roundtable were, to support emerging areas of recycling technology aimed at providing useful information and knowledge base to industry, industry associations, academia, research institutions, and policymakers and document the findings, leanings, and outcomes to broader participation and wider community input in decision-making.
In fourth knowledge tranche- 'Quantitative and Qualitative Determination of Recycled PE Content in Post- Consumer Recycled Blends' & Recycling Process of Post-Consumer Flexible PE Waste along with a use case Study in Food Contact Applications', PPRDC took the initiative to develop a suitable test method to estimate rPE content in PCR-PE films. The estimation analysis was conducted by Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET): School for Advanced Research in Petrochemicals (SARP) – Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials (LARPM), Bhubaneshwar, under the aegis of distinguished of Ms. (Dr.) Smita Mohanty, Principal Director,SARP- LARPM. The findings of the report suggest FTIR and DSC as a scientifically proven systematic and logical approach that can be used as a tool to develop the first National Standard, Operating Procedure and/or audit scheme that assesses/regulates the recycled content of PCR plastics used in packaging. The report also has a section on "Safe use of recycled materials as mid layer in three layered structures- A new possibility in Design for Recycling".
During the Roundtable meet, a study report published by PPRDC was released by Shri. Deepak Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (PC), Government of India, Dr. Shishir Sinha, Director General-CIPET Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, CMD, UFlex Limited.
During an eminent gathering, Ms. Meenal Passi, Head - Petroleum, Coal and Related Products Department (PCD), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) corroborated that the standards formulated by the #BIS serves as a comprehensive guide, outlining the necessary steps involved in recycling plastics waste, moreover, Dr. Smita Mohanty, Principal Director, CIPET: SARP- LARPM, presented a brief overview of analytical techniques/ qualitative and quantitative methods to estimate the recycled content present in the sample. Mr. Jeevaraj Pillai, Trustee, PPRDC presented on technique of use of rPET in MLP Food Packaging. Furthermore, Mr. Abhishek Garg, Advisory Council- PPRDC, provided a brief frame of status of EPR implementation in India.
In addition to the launch of the study report, government and industry representatives discussed a wide range of topics including the scope and status of EPR implementation in India and the challenges faced by producers, Brand Owners (BOs), and importers in complying with EPR guidelines, amongst others. Quite a lot of BOs and professional industry experts were also present to share their insights on the findings of the study.
In closing, an eminent gathering stressed the adoption of study report to develop an effective audit programme that focuses on the traceability of recycled plastics and the verification of a given percentage of recycled plastic content in products. The certification criteria will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with legislations and shall be owned by BIS, issued via accredited third-party assessment bodies, i.e. CIPET and/ or any BIS recognized laboratories.