Team News Riveting
New Delhi, August 8
One of India’s leading B2B trade fair organizers, Messe Muenchen India concluded an exclusive show preview of the 9th edition of IFAT India at Jaypee Siddharth, Rajendra Palace, New Delhi.
IFAT India 2022 will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, on 28-30 September 2022.
IFAT India is one of the leading trade fairs in the country for environmental technologies. It is reputed as a high-powered platform for industry experts, policymakers, and business leaders to discuss regional strategies on pressing environmental challenges such as wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and recycling. The theme of the show preview in New Delhi is ‘Plastic Neutrality Through Circular Economy’ where many high-profile speakers emphasized on the importance of going plastic neutral through a shift in consumer mindset and behavior.
The high-powered panel at this show preview featured Sanchita Jindal, Former Adviser (Scientist G), Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC); Tusar Ranjan Pattnaik, Corporate Head – EHS, Dabur India; Dr K S Jayachandran, Member Secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee; Mahendra Singh Tanwar, Commissioner, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation; and Chander Mohan Gupta, Mayor, Jammu Municipal Corporation. The vibrant panel discussion was moderated by Dr Ashish Jain, Director, Indian Pollution Control Association.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr K S Jayachandran said, “Delhi government is taking proactive measures to effectively reduce plastic waste from our ecosystem. 19 single-use plastics have already been banned and more will follow. This change should significantly reduce the existing 550-tonne single-use plastic waste per day. IFAT India has provided an unbiased and vocal platform which bring all the key stakeholders on one table. Events like these not only spread awareness amongst common people but also make the government and public sector commit for a better and cleaner environment.”
On the urgency of plastic neutrality, Dr Ashish Jain said, “There is a strong push from the government and MoEFCC towards creating a circular economy in India and to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics, effectively ensuring their circulation in the economy and out of the environment. Today, only a handful of stakeholders are following this path of plastic neutrality. There is a huge gap in consumption, collection, and recycling of plastic. Consumption of plastics has increased by 21 per cent over the last five years, whereas barely 16 per cent of plastic is collected and recycled. I am confident that IFAT India 2022 will create the right ecosystem for industry leaders to share their experiences and strategies and encourage stakeholders to take appropriate measures towards a plastic neutral economy. I expect that with such platforms, the collection and recycling rate will see a growth of more than 50 per cent”.
On strategies for plastic waste management, Mahendra Singh Tanwar said, “As a part of our holistic approach, we are working on the concept of ‘beyond plastic’ in association with the Material Library of India which is a Centre of Excellence for material innovation. This is one-of-its-kind in the Indian sub-continent. We have also designed a formula of plastic credits which has the potential to manage approx. 30,000 tonnes of plastic waste, of which we have reached 15,000 tonnes over the past six months. We are happy to participate in IFAT India 2022 as this is the only premier event in this industry.”
Offering an industry perspective, Tusar Ranjan Pattnaik, Corporate Head – EHS, Dabur India said, “The previous two years have been revolutionary in terms of waste management. Single-use plastic has been banned from last month, and this is a good move towards the 3R approach for sustainable development. We can avoid plastics, but we can’t reduce it to zero. Therefore, making the FMCG sector plastic-waste neutral is a crucial first step. This shows our commitment as a responsible brand towards reducing our carbon footprint. Our commitment to the environment is much more than government mandates (25 per cent-70 per cent recyclability). We are crossing this threshold by going 100 per cent plastic-waste neutral. At IFAT India 2022, we are delighted to share our plastic neutrality strategy, and contribute towards the nation’s target of Net Zero by 2070.”
On the need for a common platform for this sector, Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India, said, “Waste management is a complex challenge which needs cooperation and support from multiple stakeholders. Enabling meaningful handshakes among these stakeholders, unlocking business, and facilitating solutions in the real world is what we do best, and we are looking forward to exciting opportunities at IFAT India 2022. We have been serving the environment technology sector through IFAT India for over seven years now, and we are happy to bring this show preview to Delhi to connect with our partners, delegates, buyer community, and exhibitors.”
