September 2024
This is a mini case on the effects of packaging materials for 500 ml fruit juice. The alternatives are (1) a Glass bottle with a metal cap, (2) an Aluminium can, (3) a Tetra pack, and (4) a plastic bottle with a plastic cap (see Figure 1). The packaging materials are not recovered or recycled but are mostly discarded into the environment except for a minor percentage of glass bottles, aluminium cans and plastic bottles. It is almost cradle-to-grave design in all these four alternatives. The tetra pack is made of a mix of paper, plastic, and aluminium. Tetra packs are difficult to recycle due to the need to separate layers. The lack of recycling infrastructure for this material makes it a poor environmental choice if discarded into the environment. We need a packaging system that is a cradle-to-cradle design and supply chain to protect ourselves, our land, waterways, air, and oceans. Can these packaging materials be upcycled? Millions of litres of fruit juice are packaged and sold in India. What can be done to minimize environmental damage by recovering, recycling, or redesigning the packaging itself, safeguarding the interests of the triple bottom line?
Chandan Chowdhury is a Professor of Operations Management and Information Systems (Practice) at the Indian School of Business (ISB). He is also the Executive Director of the Munjal Institute for Global Manufacturing and the Punj-Lloyd Institute of Infrastructure Management at ISB.
Additionally, Professor Chowdhury serves as a Member of the Board of Governors at IIM Sambalpur and Lamrin Tech Skills University.
Before joining ISB, Professor Chowdhury worked in the corporate sector and was associated with three major multinational companies, where he held positions such as Managing Director and Country Manager. He served Dassault Systèmes for over five years, initially as Managing Director, India Geo, and subsequently as Vice President, Global Affairs.
During his last academic appointment, he was Professor, Dean (Academy), and Chairman of the Board of Research at IIM Mumbai (formerly known as NITIE- National Institute of Industrial Engineering, established as a joint initiative between the United Nations and the Government of India in 1963).
He is passionate about leveraging technology to make the world a better place. He served as an expert panel member at NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India, Government of India), helping to develop the Manufacturing India@2035 roadmap. He is also Chairman of the Technical Committee (Management and Productivity) at the Bureau of Indian Standards.
Professor Chowdhury is currently leading several research projects of national importance, such as ‘A Decade of Infrastructure Development in India: trends and Insights’, ‘Challenges and Opportunities for accelerating MSME’s growth’, ‘Making India a Skill Capital of the World,’ ‘India’s readiness for the 4th and the 5th Industrial revolution,’ and ‘Future of Jobs’.
He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and a PhD from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and a PhD from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
