IISc, MTL to develop solutions to turn waste into plastic packaging

BENGALURU: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Manjushree Technopack Ltd would develop solutions to turn waste into plastic packaging to allow repeated recycling of products, MTL said on Tuesday.

The organisations will also collaborate to develop a recyclable elastomeric material for all plastic pumps/triggers and also work to strengthen the caps of 'PET' bottles, which are made from 100 per cent recyclable plastic, it said.

The rigid plastic packaging solutions provider said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bengaluru-based IISc to create "innovative and sustainable" plastic packaging solutions.

As part of the MoU, IISc will establish a Centre of Excellence for upcycling and recycling thermoplastics used in a wide spectrum of rigid plastic packaging present in everyday life, ranging from soft drink bottles to cleaning products such as washing tablets, an MTL statement said.

One of the key aims of this MoU is to replace a number of non-recyclable packaging materials with recyclable monolayer materials, which will help make transport cheaper and reduce breakage and damage, it was stated.

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Another area of focus for the collaboration is the replacement of cardboard-based packaging, such as that used in pizza boxes, with foamed polyolefins, offering improved thermal insulation and weight reduction. MTL MD & CEO Thimmaiah Napanda said: "This is a significant development which will enable us to explore opportunities in existing technologies developed by IISc in the polymer segment".