CSIR-NIIST showcases sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging

CSIR-NIIST director C. Anandharamakrishnan (right) exchanges MoU for biodegradable PBAT composites in the presence of Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh (centre) in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Here’s something that offers a green alternative to the ubiquitous but environmentally unfriendly plastic bottle.

The CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram has developed a bio-polymer-based packaging technology which, it says, can be a sustainable alternative to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging.

This ‘Bio Polymer-Based Bottle Technology’ uses renewable plant-based resources and was showcased at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 which is under way in New Delhi.

Potential feedstocks for the production of technology include corn, sugarcane, cassava or sugar beet. The rigid and transparent bottles are designed for biodegradability and compostability. As such, they create opportunities for value addition to agricultural resources, according to CSIR-NIIST.

A big plus of this technology, according to the institute, is that it is compatible with existing PET bottle-manufacturing infrastructure, allowing its adoption with minimal changes to production lines. The bottles have applications in packaging drinking water, beverages, edible oils, personal care products, household cleaners and herbal and wellness products, CSIR-NIIST said, adding that the technology is ready for commercial scale-up.

The institute has also developed engineered fibre-reinforced PBAT composite pellets for semi-rigid and flexible biodegradable packaging under the CSIR Mission Mode Project ‘Sustainable Packaging Solutions for a Net Zero Future.’ For the commercialisation of this technology, CSIR-NIIST inked a memorandum of understanding with Pune-based start-up Mridaa Polymers on Wednesday in the presence of Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh.

“The ready-to-use composite pellets can be processed using conventional manufacturing techniques, including extrusion blow moulding, injection moulding, thermoforming and compression moulding to produce self-supporting biodegradable bottles and containers,” the institute said. CSIR-NIIST director C. Anandharamakrishnan, said the development of sustainable packaging is an important step towards addressing the growing challenge of plastic pollution while enabling a transition to a circular bio-economy.