Ashish Pradhan: There is a gap between perception and facts

Is there a Green Gap?

There is a gap in understanding. Consumers, in general, think all plastic packaging is bad for the environment. When you look at this from the perspective of the packaging industry, we come to the topic of the plastic paradox, which means plastic, as such, is not a bad material. It has reduced carbon footprint significantly compared to rigid packagings such as glass, aluminium cans and such. This is a gap between perception and facts, as seen by the packaging industry. The industry is looking at reducing, reusing and recycling. While a small section of society understands it, by and large, it is still a concept not fully understood by a non-packaging person.

One simple action plan for India

Managing packaging waste is a big topic for India. We have the technology and the intelligentsia that can work on packaging design that makes it recyclable, reducible and reusable. However, the big challenge is segregation and collection, and this is something we have to look at if we want to approach this holistically. We must make waste segregation compulsory across the country.