India’s packaging industry is undergoing a decisive transformation as circular economy principles move from vision to practice. The convergence of large-scale consumption, evolving regulation, and mounting waste challenges is driving industry leaders to redesign materials, rethink supply chains, and embed sustainability across operations.
Among those leading the charge are PepsiCo India and Tetra Pak South Asia, each redefining how packaging can enable — rather than hinder — the path toward circularity.
For Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer & Head of Sustainability at PepsiCo India & South Asia, sustainability begins with design. “We’ve been reimagining our packaging portfolio to make it not just recyclable, but truly a part of a circular system,” she says. In 2023, Pepsi Black became India’s first carbonated beverage sold in 100% rPET bottles, following regulatory approval for food-grade recycled plastic. More than half of PepsiCo India’s film portfolio has already shifted to recyclable materials, with complete conversion planned soon. The company also works closely with the CII India Plastic Pact to ensure materials are tested for durability, safety, and scalability before widespread rollout.
Yet, the transition to circular packaging is not purely technological. Singh emphasizes that success depends on “alignment between policy, technology, and behavior.” Food-grade flexible films and advanced recycling systems remain globally under development, making policy clarity and cross-sector coordination essential to scaling sustainable materials without compromising food safety or consumer trust.
At Tetra Pak South Asia, sustainability has evolved into a structural innovation framework. “Our North Star is to create the world’s most sustainable carton — fully recyclable, made entirely from renewable or recycled materials, and with the lowest possible climate impact,” explains Juhi Gupta, Director of Sustainability. The company’s five-pillar strategy — design innovation, renewable materials, recycled content, infrastructure, and reuse — guides continuous improvement.
Tetra Pak’s Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 Slim Leaf carton, with up to 90% renewable content and a one-third lower carbon footprint, embodies this approach. The company is reducing aluminum layers, introducing fiber-based barriers, and incorporating sugarcane-based biopolymers. In FY24, Tetra Pak invested €42 million to expand its global recycling network of 215 partners, processing 1.3 million tonnes of used beverage cartons. In India, it became the first company to integrate 5% recycled polymers into cartons, fulfilling Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) goals voluntarily for over two decades.
Circularity also extends beyond products. PepsiCo’s Project Purna, developed with Recity, has diverted 3,200 metric tonnes of waste in Mathura-Vrindavan while formalizing waste work and improving recycling efficiency. In Guwahati, its PRIDE Cooperative with Pyxera Global has supported 1,000+ waste workers through documentation and skill development. These programs link material recovery with social inclusion, ensuring value circulates across both environmental and human systems.
Tetra Pak’s lifecycle approach follows the same philosophy. Over 70% of each carton comes from FSC-certified forests, and the company is scaling renewable polymers to phase out fossil plastics. Its “50/50/50” initiative — aiming to cut water use, waste, and CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 — demonstrates that resource efficiency and innovation can progress together. In 2024, 95% of Tetra Pak’s operational waste was recycled, with less than 1% sent to landfill.
Community engagement remains central to both strategies. PepsiCo’s Plog Run campaign — blending fitness with environmental awareness — has mobilized 8,400 volunteers since 2022, collecting over a ton of waste in Gurugram alone. Tetra Pak’s “Go Green” and “Mera Carton Meri Zimmedari” initiatives, alongside partnerships with the Indian Army and 30+ collection partners, have built one of India’s most extensive recycling ecosystems. Educational programs like “Cartons Le Aao, Classroom Banao” transform used cartons into school furniture, merging circularity with social benefit.
Both Singh and Gupta stress that collaboration, across government, business, and civil society, is the only viable route to circularity.
