Indian PET bottle manufacturer, Manjushree Technopack, is to set up a Plastics Recycling Innovation Centre (PRIC) at its preform unit in Bidadi, Bangalore.
Given the expected doubling of per capita consumption of plastics in India, and an increasing number of industries opting for plastics as the preferred packaging material, Manjushree considers it essential to step up the momentum on plastics recycling and reuse.
Several industry bodies include PET Packaging Association for Clean Environment (PACE) and All India Plastic Manufacturer’s Association (AIPMA) have given their support to the PRIC.
Slated to be operational by March 2015, PRIC will look at new ways of reusing plastics and creating every day, low-cost utility items. Apart from the R&D centre, PRIC will also house an auditorium, a museum, a library and a demo centre, which will be accessible to public.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for PRIC, Vimal Kedia, managing director of Manjushree Technopack, said: “On an average, about 60 per cent of total plastics waste collected per day in India is recycled. However, 6,137 tonnes remains uncollected and littered.
Through various initiatives and activities organised at the centre, we will not only be encouraging people to reuse and recycle PET plastic wastes, but also educate them on how plastics, if developed and used wisely, doesn’t pose a threat to the environment. Hence, even as we all work towards developing packaging methods that make plastics more eco-friendly, we would be doing a lot more by minimising the effect upon the environment.”
