Amazon, Flipkart, etc urged to invest in sustainable packaging – Moving towards a an environmentally sustainable Logistics & Packaging

12 February 2021: In a consultation meeting organised by the Logistics Division of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 9th February, E-Com companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, etc. were urged to invest in sustainable packaging as they are one of the biggest users of packaging material.

Addressing the participants in the meeting, Pawan Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics) said that Packaging serves as the interface between users and logistics companies. Thus efficient and sustainable packaging is the key to environmentally sustainable logistics. Packaging deserves greater attention from improving the overall logistical efficiency perspective. This consultation was held with Confederation of Indian Industry, various user industries such as food and beverages, e-commerce, 3PLs/4PLs.

Valuable inputs on packaging came from the 3PL/4PL participants and more such key players would be involved in the formulation of the National Packaging Initiative. TCI, TVS and APL Logistics were some of the players who represented this segment. Returnable packaging – another vital aspect from the EXIM angle, was highlighted as an important area of intervention.

This consultation was organised to define the scope and the National Packaging Initiative as part of the National Logistics Policy that is currently being finalized. This policy aims to reduce logistics cost, ensure product safety and promote sustainability. There was a consensus that secondary and tertiary packaging needs focus.

The Indian Institute of Packaging was advised to devise short term courses to equip the user industry to skill its workforce. Recycling and reuse of packaging material were also discussed.