C K Jaipuria, President of the Indian Beverage Association (IBA), underscored that the industry is responding to stringent provisions under India’s amended Plastic Waste Management Rules and Extended Producer Responsibility targets, which mandate 100 percent recovery and recycling of plastic waste. According to him, the industry is focusing on three foundational pillars to optimize waste management, including lightweight engineering, institutionalized digital collection networks, and accelerated adoption of food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate.
Jaipuria stated that the most effective waste management strategy begins at the production stage by reducing material usage before it enters the ecosystem. In line with this approach, beverage manufacturers have implemented large-scale material reduction initiatives, including significant advancements in injection moulding technology. These developments have enabled a reduction of 10 percent to 20 percent in the weight of standard PET preforms used across high-volume packaging formats ranging from 600 millilitres to 2.25 litres.
He further noted that packaging innovations have extended to closure systems, where redesigned neck profiles and plastic caps used in carbonated soft drinks, juices, and packaged water have achieved weight reductions of 20 percent to 25 percent, thereby significantly reducing upstream polymer consumption.
The IBA President highlighted that the urgency of meeting escalating Extended Producer Responsibility targets has driven the formalisation of India’s historically fragmented informal waste collection ecosystem. This transformation is being enabled through Producer Responsibility Organisations, with industry leaders collaborating in large-scale nationwide recovery initiatives alongside entities such as GEM Enviro and Saahas Zero Waste.
These structured networks are systematically integrating and incentivising thousands of waste pickers and scrap collectors by introducing guaranteed buy-back pricing mechanisms, digital weight verification systems, and direct benefit transfer models. This approach ensures a consistent and traceable inflow of post-consumer plastic waste into the recycling stream.
Technology-led interventions are further strengthening the system, with digital platforms such as Race Eco Chain and Banyan Nation enabling real-time tracking of plastic waste from collection points to processing facilities. These systems generate audit-ready, Central Pollution Control Board-compliant plastic credits with full traceability across the value chain.
Jaipuria emphasised that the industry’s long-term objective is to transition from downcycling plastic waste into lower-value products such as textile fibres toward a true bottle-to-bottle circular economy model. To enhance the availability of food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate, major industry players have entered into strategic joint ventures with global polymer processors, including Indorama, to establish advanced washing and resin manufacturing facilities.
These developments have enabled the commercial rollout of 100 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate bottles in select flagship product lines, with the sector targeting up to 30 percent integration of recycled content across core product portfolios.
In parallel, sustainability efforts are also extending to non-carbonated beverage segments through the adoption of multi-layer carton packaging solutions. Packaging partners such as Tetra Pak have incorporated certified recycled polymers into carton structures in India, aligning with stringent Food Safety and Standards Authority of India requirements while addressing challenges associated with multi-layer plastic waste.
However, Jaipuria identified two key challenges that continue to impact momentum. The first is a quality-grade deficit in recycled feedstock. He noted that food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate requires highly pure and efficiently segregated waste streams, as contamination at the municipal disposal stage undermines the structural integrity required for bottle-to-bottle recycling. He stressed the need for stronger source segregation awareness and the deployment of smart collection kiosks, supported by consumer participation and local administrative action.
The second challenge lies in regulatory and infrastructural disparities across states. While the Central Pollution Control Board provides a unified digital framework, municipal infrastructure and waste processing charges vary significantly across regions. Jaipuria called for standardised single-window municipal access systems to streamline reverse logistics operations across different jurisdictions.
Concluding his remarks, he stated that the Indian non-alcoholic beverage industry is progressing decisively toward a sustainability-led growth model, with its waste management initiatives expected to gain further momentum through coordinated action by consumers, government authorities, and civil society stakeholders.
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