This month, an exciting Innovation Workshop was hosted by Ved, bringing together select team members from various sanghs to brainstorm, discuss, and explore ideas shaping the future of sustainable solutions at Pakka.
In an inspiring session, Ved spoke about the essence of innovation, the importance of questioning the norms, and the value of long-term thinking. Following this, seven key innovation projects were introduced — each rooted in sustainability, circular economy, and product performance.
Here’s a glimpse of the projects:
- Waste Valorization
What if waste isn’t waste at all? This project explores how industrial byproducts like lime sludge — often discarded — can be transformed into valuable materials.
Key Objectives:
- Find sustainable, value-added uses of lime sludge
- Reduce environmental load and disposal challenges
- Develop in-house green alternatives using industrial waste
- Strengthen our commitment to circular manufacturing
Real-world inspiration? Think sugarcane bagasse turning into paper or used cooking oil becoming biodiesel. This project aims to uncover similar possibilities from within our own systems.
- Flexible Packaging Paper
Focus: Bagasse + Softwood Fiber Paper with Non-Metallized Barrier Coating
In the battle against plastic, this project introduces a high-performance, compostable packaging solution using a blend of bagasse and softwood fiber. Combined with a non-metallized barrier, this innovation offers moisture and oxygen resistance—without compromising recyclability.
Why it matters:
- Plastic-free, compostable & recyclable
- Uses agricultural and forestry waste
- Suitable for food, personal care, and retail packaging
- Reduces carbon footprint and supports circular economy
It’s designed for a future where sustainability meets function — perfectly fit for the growing demand of eco-conscious consumers and brands.
- Alternate Fibers
As bagasse demand grows, this project focuses on finding eco-friendly alternatives to ensure raw material supply stays future ready.
🔹 Exploring fibers like wheat straw, rice straw, hemp, bamboo, cotton linters, banana fiber, and elephant grass
🔹 These are renewable, biodegradable, and reduce waste burning
🔹 Many offer strong, durable pulp suitable for existing machinery
Not just good for the environment — this also brings economic value to farmers and supports forest conservation.
- Rigid & Food Delivery Services
This project is all about building the next generation of sustainable, molded fiber products for food delivery and quick-serve applications — for both Indian and global markets.
Key focus areas include:
- Leak-proof delivery containers
- Clamshells designed for export markets
- Multi-compartment meal trays
- Molded cups, lids, and cutlery
- Improving existing products with lighter weight and better fiber chemistry
- Ecology
Pakka is raising the bar by setting measurable environmental targets that go far beyond compliance:
🔹 Water Use: Reduce to below 20 m³/ton, a global best-in-class benchmark
🔹 Air Quality: Maintain PM10 levels below 100 ppm through advanced dust control systems
🔹 Carbon Emissions: Achieve net-neutral GHG footprint through biomass fuels, electrification, and carbon offset strategies
This project aligns with international frameworks like CEPI and supports Pakka’s Net Zero roadmap across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. It’s not just sustainability — it’s future-proofing our operations.
- Green Chemistry
This project embraces green chemistry principles in how Pakka transforms bagasse into paper.
🔹 Cleaner Cooking: Using enzymes and additives to preserve fiber and reduce chemical use
🔹 Eco Bleaching: Transitioning from chlorine-based to ECF (Elemental Chlorine-Free) bleaching
🔹 Stronger Fibers: Enzyme-assisted enhancement for better tensile strength and paper quality
Green chemistry reduces pollution, saves energy, and improves paper strength — proving that smart science is good business.
- Wrap & Carry
🔹 Wrap:
Pakka’s basic food wrapping paper is already tree-free and safe — now, the goal is to explore oil resistance properties using hit-and-trial methods to test coating combinations and layering techniques. The aim is to improve performance for oily snacks, burgers, and street food — without adding toxins or compromising compostability.
🔹 Carry:
This part focuses on boosting the tensile strength of carry papers. By tweaking internal fiber chemistry and evaluating parameters like GSM (40–60), BF (>30), and TF (>75), the team is working on delivering lightweight yet durable carry solutions for bakeries, takeaways, and QSR chains.