UFlex is a leader in sustainable packaging. Talking about the genesis, Apoorvshree Chaturvedi, Director – Global Operations, UFlex Group, explains that in the mid-90s, when UFlex was a much smaller company, the chairman and the board were constantly travelling for machinery, as India was then fully dependent upon imported equipment for packaging manufacturing. During these travels, they observed many machine suppliers putting up machinery specifically for the handling of plastic waste.
Strategic Foresight
Coming from India, the chairman and the board had the foresight to understand that waste will become a significant problem in the future. Chaturvedi notes that city municipal budgets are not equipped to handle the intense level of urbanisation. Looking at post-2005 as a benchmark, India’s story is essentially one of increasing urbanisation.
Urbanisation Impact
Today, 65–70% of the population is employed in agriculture. For India to become a middle-income country, Chaturvedi points out that this number needs to drop to about 40–45%. This shift means more people move to cities, consumption rises and more waste is generated.
Demographic Shift
Chaturvedi observes that the Indians no longer want dirty cities or poorly functioning waste management protocols. While they might put up with other challenges, young people looking to buy houses and set up families have zero tolerance for poor public hygiene or low waste standards.
Private Innovation
Fifteen years ago, the problem persisted because of a lack of technology. Now, however, Chaturvedi asserts that private players are incentivised to set up technology, allowing India to urbanise in a much healthier manner. The old idea of urbanising now and cleaning up later is no longer considered a viable option.
Innovation Frontiers
Regarding the next frontiers in innovation, Chaturvedi believes the first step is to show the industry that the existing set of materials can be recycled. He argues that the idea of changing packaging design from the ground up to invent new materials is misplaced. Existing materials perform well and can be successfully put back into the value chain—either into the food chain or into organised plastic articles like injection-moulded furniture. Additionally, he highlights the importance of not over-designing packaging.
