Is introducing an alternative to the plastic milk pouch a tenable solution? 

Is introducing an alternative to the plastic milk pouch a tenable solution? 

Recently, National Green Tribunal directed Aavin to explore the possibility of using alternatives to single-use plastics in milk packaging. This was brought up after huge quantities of plastic waste had accumulated at Aavin’s Ambattur dairy unit.

Asking the Tamil Nadu Diary Co-Operative to explore the possibility of using reusable plastics or glass bottles for milk packaging is a great move, but these suggestions might not win favour because of economical or logistical hurdles. There is no hope to be found in the experiences of other states.

In 2018, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike made a suggestion to the Karnataka Milk Federation to find alternatives to the plastic packaging of its Nandini milk. The effort did not take off.

To reduce plastic use, the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) mooted ‘Milk ATMs’ where people can come with containers to buy milk. The initiative remained on paper.

Last year, students and faculty of Rathinam College of Arts and Science in Coimbatore did a study (with a small sample size) on impact of using milk pouches with special reference to Aavin consumers in the district. Consumers preferred carton to glass bottle as the former was lightweight, inexpensive and shatter-proof. The respondents perceived milk pouches as convenient and affordable but expressed concerns about their environmental impact.

Durable and recyclable

T.K. Bandopadhyay, Technical Director and ENVIS Coordinator at Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE) in Mumbai, says their studies have shown that plastic packaging of milk in sachets is so far the best.