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India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

  • 1.  India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-05-2023 11:31 AM
    Hi everyone,

    This question is for anyone who ships product to India. Was curious how other companies have interpreted this new law that India has about shipping them packaging containing plastic. I work for GE Healthcare, we obviously don't do any consumer packaging-the law seems to be aimed more at consumer packaging, not business-to-business. However, it has been interpreted by folks at my company that we cannot ship any plastic bag or sheet there that is less than 50 microns (~2 mil). That obviously would be very disruptive and we are scrambling to figure out other options. For us that would mainly present problems with plastic bags (most are ~1 mil), and stretch wrap.

    Anyway, curious if we are interpreting this incorrectly or if other companies are struggling to adhere to this hastily-passed law. Thanks!


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    Georgia Rockwell
    Packaging Engineer Leader
    GE Healthcare
    Waukesha WI
    (262) 282-8349
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-06-2023 09:41 AM
    Would you be willing to share the legislation link or context?

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    Brian Estey
    Packaging Engineer
    Terumo BCT
    Lakewood CO
    (303) 231-4023
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  • 3.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-07-2023 08:31 AM
    I have reached out to my friend who owns a packaging printing company in India. He will get back to me by end of next week 

    Dilip Parikh, CPP
    Sr Technical Director 
    MCC Label 
    773-251-4220





  • 4.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-08-2023 10:52 PM
    Thank you, I appreciate it!

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    Georgia Rockwell
    Packaging Engineer Leader
    GE Healthcare
    Waukesha WI
    (262) 282-8349
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-13-2023 07:43 AM

    Good Morning to All

     

    Below is what my friend sent me. Not much but hope this helps – My friend is the owner of Packaging Printing Co. in Mumbai.

     

    " Pl find below definitions given in the plastic waste management rule. Pl note there  are series of  gazette  and  amendments passed in the last few years  and everything is not available in one print

     

    Plastic Packaging" means packaging material made by using plastics for protecting, preserving, storing, and transporting of products in a variety of ways;

     

    "carry bags" (covered under Category II of plastic packaging – Clause (5.1) (II), given in Schedule – II) mean bags made from plastic material or compostable plastic material, used for the purpose of carrying or dispensing commodities which have a self-carrying feature but   do not include bags that constitute or form an integral part of the packaging in which goods are sealed prior to use;

    a.    Carry bag made of virgin or recycled plastic, shall not be less than fifty microns one hundred andtwenty (120) with effect from 30.9.2021 in thickness; seventy five microns in thickness with effect from the 30th September, 2021 and one hundred and twenty (120) microns in thickness with effect from the 31st December, 2022"

     

    a.    Plastic sheet or like, which is not an integral part of multi-layered packaging and cover made of plastic sheet used for packaging, wrapping the commodity shall not be less than 50 microns in thickness except as specified by the Central Government where the thickness of such plastic sheets impair the functionality of the product;

     

     now there is no detailing on  as specified by the Central Government  but  stretch wrap is permitted under this clause "

     

     

     

     

    Dilip Parikh

    Sr. Technical Director

     

    1530 Morse Ave.

    Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

    T (847) 427-5409

    M (773) 251-4220

    Dilip.Parikh@mcclabel.com

    www.mcclabel.com

     

     

     

     

     






  • 6.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-09-2023 12:47 PM
    We discussed this on the Packaging Today Morning Show on Linkedin (every Monday at 8:30 am on LinkedIn :)

    We had a few people on from India who said they believe importing items with less than 2 micron thick plastic could be a big challenge for sure. 

    Hope that helps!





  • 7.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-10-2023 09:31 AM

    Question: why is the thinner film more of a sustainability burden?  The connection to gauge is not apparent to me. 

     

    Richard J. Marshall

    Process Technology Manager

    GMS Technical

    Haleon

    Haleon.com

    Email :richard.j.marshall@haleon.com

    Tel: 434 906-6498

     

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  • 8.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-11-2023 04:16 PM

    I found the answer to my question: the thicker film gauge bag is assumed to promote multiple use, vs single use.  Seems reasonable.  Interestingly, plastic bottles do not get mentioned in the ban, yet every press photo covering this story in India that I ran across featured a picture of empty soda and water bottles strewn about.  Clearly plastic drink bottles are not being "reused" to in significant numbers if they are literally still the poster child example of plastic waste pollution.

     

     

    Richard J. Marshall

    Process Technology Manager

    GMS Technical

    Haleon

    Haleon.com

    Email :richard.j.marshall@haleon.com

    Tel: 434 906-6498

     

    Icon  Description automatically generated

     

    The Haleon group monitors email communications sent to and from the Haleon group in order to protect Haleon, our employees, customers, suppliers and business partners, from cyber threats and loss of Haleon group information. Haleon group monitoring is conducted with appropriate confidentiality controls and in accordance with local laws and after appropriate consultation.






  • 9.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-17-2023 12:42 PM
    Yeah it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I get it for the "carry bags" aka grocery store bags which could be reused, but it doesn't make sense for anything else. Now more plastic will be made to comply with their regulations, and they will have to deal with more plastic (thicker bags). A bag around a product is not going to be reused.

    Our company is hoping to replace the plastic bags with compostable material but it hard to find compostable bags of various sizes. I've heard that the EU will be banning plastic by 2030, but I don't know that for sure.

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    Georgia Rockwell
    Packaging Engineer Leader
    GE Healthcare
    Waukesha WI
    (262) 282-8349
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  • 10.  RE: India's new Packaging Law interpretation (Plastic Waste Management)

    Posted 01-10-2023 09:32 AM
    Edited by Cynthia Dickson 01-10-2023 09:33 AM
    Hi Georgia,

    You may want to try packaginglaw.com.  It is a resource provided by Keller and Heckman (a multi-national law firm) concerning news and analysis of packaging regulations worldwide.  If you scroll down the page there is a link to submit a regulatory-related question directly to Keller & Heckman's packaging attorneys (free).

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    Cynthia Dickson
    Senior Packaging Engineer
    Xellia Pharmaceuticals
    Bedford OH
    (440) 514-9942
    ------------------------------