Soft drinks major PepsiCo India is reportedly planning to test compostable packaging for its snack products in a move to combat plastic pollution.
Under a six-month pilot programme, snack brands such as Lay’s and Kurkure will carry the new eco-friendly packaging, reported The Economic Times.
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The products will be available in the new packaging at the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 in Delhi during the pilot programme.
PepsiCo India snacks category vice-president Jagrut Kotecha was quoted by the news agency as saying: “Through this pilot, we aim to influence and study consumer behaviour, as well as monitor the waste management channel in a controlled environment.
“This is a significant milestone for the FMCG industry.
“The learnings from this pilot will help in shaping the next phase of the project and also provide inputs to other markets in the PepsiCo system.”
The new 100% compostable plant-based material packaging has been developed by the research and development unit of PepsiCo.
According to the company, customers can dispose of the new packaging with regular food waste, which decomposes in 12 weeks.
Last month, the soft drinks major announced its plans to use 25% of the recycled content for its plastic packaging by 2025, as part of its sustainable plastics vision.
The company aims to use 33% recycled PET content with a focus on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles by 2025.
PepsiCo also signed a multi-year supply agreement to purchase production capacity from Canada-based sustainable plastic company Loop Industries’s joint venture facility in the US.
As part of the deal, the beverage maker will also incorporate Loop PET plastic into its product packaging by early 2020.
