India’s Food-Grade rPP Future: Industry Unites To Push Regulatory And Technological Readiness

As global and national regulations push the boundaries of sustainability, India’s packaging sector is waking up to a defining opportunity: making food-grade recycled polypropylene (rPP) a mainstream reality. At the 6th Plastic Packaging Research and Development Centre (PPRDC) Summit held in New Delhi, stakeholders across the value chain — from government departments to top FMCG brands and recyclers — came together to align on a common mission: building a circular packaging ecosystem that is both scientifically robust and commercially scalable. The summit also saw the launch of PPRDC’s pioneering study on sustainable valorization of post-consumer polypropylene waste — a technical and regulatory guide aimed at catalysing safe, high-performance use of recycled PP in food-contact packaging.

Highlighting the government’s role in enabling this transition, Deepak Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals, said, “As a regulatory authority, we recognise the significant progress the industry has made in enhancing recycling capacities, particularly for PET... However, it is equally important for the industry to proactively advance standards and processes for recycling other materials like PE and PP. Collaborative efforts between policymakers, recyclers, and industry stakeholders are vital for achieving our national sustainability commitments.”

Calling for industry-led clarity in grey areas of regulation, Prabh Das, MD & CEO, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), noted, “We urge the industry stakeholders to lead the development of a clear framework for materials and practices that currently fall outside the scope of existing government guidelines. Such an initiative will help bring greater clarity and confidence, while accelerating our collective journey toward a more circular and sustainable packaging ecosystem.”

At a global level, the call for unified solutions was echoed by Mr. Jacob Duer, President & CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, who said, “No single entity can solve this issue alone... India, with its rapidly growing economy, progressive policies, and thriving innovation ecosystem, stands at the forefront of this movement. Together, through collaboration and investment, we have the chance to reshape the future of plastic waste management for generations to come.”

From within the industry, voices urged immediate and voluntary action. Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, CMD of UFlex Limited, gave a heartfelt push: “We must stop viewing sustainability as a regulatory burden and start embracing it as a business imperative. We don’t have to wait for rules to force our hand; we can choose to do what is right simply because it matters. Let us move forward with openness and intention, supporting one another and learning along the way.”

Backing this philosophy with innovation, Jeevaraj Gopal Pillai, Trustee – PPRDC and Director – Sustainability at UFlex, shared, “At UFlex, we’ve made significant strides in using rPE and rPP in the core layer of the co-extrusion process... This innovation, along with AI-enabled sorting and advanced decontamination processes, positions us to meet India’s EPR requirements while maintaining the highest standards of food safety.”

The PPRDC study itself provides scientific evidence that up to 60% post-consumer recycled PP can be safely used in the core layer of multilayer flexible food packaging without compromising performance. This is made possible through multi-point decontamination and double-filtration techniques. The technology and roadmap align with both global benchmarks such as the US FDA’s guidelines and India’s own tightening targets under the Plastic Waste Management Rules.

Mihir Banerji, Secretary General, PPRDC, concluded the event with a strong pitch for enabling policy support: “While there are currently no specific guidelines governing the use of recycled polypropylene (rPP) in food packaging, this presents a tremendous opportunity for India to lead with a progressive, science-backed regulatory framework. With the right guidance in place, India can unlock the full potential of food-grade rPP, enabling innovation, reducing dependency on virgin plastics, and supporting the nation’s circular economy and environmental goals.”

With circularity targets set to mandate up to 20% recycled content in flexible plastic packaging by 2027–28, the message from the summit was clear: the time to act — with science, sincerity, and shared responsibility — is now.

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