On 29th December 2021 ITC Ltd announced a collaboration with Invest India. A non-profit initiative of the central government for national investment promotion and facilitation. To crowdsource creative ideas for single-use plastic substitutes and automate waste management.
According to the ITC, as part of the partnership, ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) has created the ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge, which will promote new startup ideas on sustainable packaging and smart waste management solutions.
As part of the initiative, ITC PSPD is inviting responses from startups through the Startup India portal to challenges posed by the company. To find sustainable and smart technology-based solutions that can substitute single-use plastic. And automate waste segregation processes with smart technology-based solutions to improve efficiency and speed.
Inadequate segregation of single-use plastic
According to ITC PSPD CEO Vadiraj Kulkarni, the disposal of plastic and non-biodegradable waste remains the most difficult task in solid waste management in India. The problem is exacerbated further by the inadequate segregation of post-consumer waste. Which results in a large amount of garbage ending up in landfills and polluting it.
At ITC, we believe that businesses of all sizes, with their immense managerial and innovative capacity, can work together. To significantly contribute to the development of innovative and sustainable packaging and waste management solutions. Leading to transformative changes in society, Kulkarni added.
Deepak Bagla, the Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, stated, “Through the ITC Innovative Sustainability Challenge. We look forward to advancing efforts toward more sustainable economic growth. Innovative entrepreneurs will be able to demonstrate Made-in-India solutions that will help India transition to a circular economy.”
According to ITC, for sustainable packaging, it is seeking proposals to replace plastic-based goods with biodegradable food delivery options, such as molded fiber packaging based on wood fiber, agri-waste, and so on. It is also searching for solutions in the domain of recyclable or compostable barrier coatings for papers and paperboards.
In terms of garbage segregation, collection, and management. The emphasis is on creative and technologically based solutions for managing home and municipal garbage. Based on various material types such as paper, metal, glass, and rigid plastic. As the ultimate outcome of the solutions. The concepts must incorporate an effective business model for the waste management ecosystem. And lead to considerable incremental advantages above existing techniques, it stated.