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#2 Indian “Packman” entrepreneur fights plastic waste

In India, Packman Packaging is using corn-based bags to help fight Southeast Asia’s plastics waste crisis.

Gaurav Jalan founded the company 30 years ago and has over 300 customers in India, including Amazon and Samsung.

“We did an intensive study and realized that biodegradable bags are the best solution. So, we make bags out of starch sourced from corn,” Jalan tells New Indian Express.

Jalan says market growth is hindered by cost, but government regulations could help expand adoption. “Unfortunately, the consumer and the industry want everything cheap and are not considerate about the impact of materials like plastic, unless restrictions are imposed by the government. So much so, that there has been resistance to our eco-friendly alternatives, due to its price.”

The company is also developing compostable bags that dissolve immediately in water.
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