Carton To Consciousness

Along with E-commerce grew the packaging industry in India especially during the pandemic. But do we know what happens to the delivered packages after we open them? Do we care about its impact on our surroundings?

This research study delves into e-commerce packaging waste highlighting current practices of discarded packaging materials, gaps in the practices vis-à-vis the expectations, and the environmental hazards in the ecosystem by interviewing stakeholders in each step of the supply chain. Consumers are ignorant towards segregation, mostly due to laziness and space constraints, but sometimes simply unaware. The supply channel is ineffective in collecting the materials as they do not have adequate incentives. Recycling process itself is an environmental hazard involving harsh chemicals and requiring large quantities of resources.

Does recycling packaging material after single use align with sustainable practices?

Change is not impossible. When plastic bags were prohibited in favour of paper bags, resistance eventually made way for acceptance. On the way, people come back to the reusable cloth bags. Is a similar change possible in online e-commerce packaging? The research brings the focus back to Circular Economy, which emphasizes Reuse over Recycling. On those lines, the research proposed creating a service which collects the cartons and sends them back to the companies for reuse them rather than recycling the cartons after single use.