The European platform for recycled plastics procurement Cirplus has announced its expansion into India as a strategic move to meet the growing demand for recycled plastics in India and the wider Asian markets. With this step, the company aims to focus on increasing the availability and quality of recycled plastics globally and drive the transition from virgin to recycled materials. India has recently introduced progressive regulations for plastics, creating a favorable business environment for recycled plastics that is more ambitious than that of the EU.
Under these new regulations (Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022 and India Plastic Pact), manufacturers, importers and brand owners are required, among other things, to significantly increase the use of recycled content in all types of packaging sold in the Indian market, covering the full range of packaging from rigid to flexible to multi-layer, and setting targets of 5-30 percent as early as 2025. These new frameworks are designed to encourage rapid business transformation away from virgin plastics and provide a reliable framework for investors to build new and improved recycling capacity. "We are excited to bring our digital procurement solution to the Asian market and support the transformation of the plastics recycling landscape at a global scale. With the expansion, we will not only address one of the most pressing environmental challenges, but also create significant opportunities for businesses and communities across India and Asia. With our proven model and expertise for digitally enabled sourcing of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics, we offer brand owners and converters around the world a comprehensive, convenient and cost-efficient way of meeting their procurement targets”, says Christian Schiller, CEO and founder of Cirplus.
Introduction of digital product passports in accordance with European legislation
Similar to its European operations, the company will provide a full range of services, including supplier matching, material aggregation and qualification, logistics and quality control, to help plastics processors access high quality recycled plastics at scale and in reliable volumes. In addition, the new facility will leverage its proven expertise in the standardization of recyclates as the initiator of the world's first standards for high quality recycling and digitization, DIN SPEC 91446/EN 18065, and its proven track record in creating the digital infrastructure necessary to manage even more complex material streams, introducing digital product passports that comply with the latest European legislation.
Cirplus subsidiary in India
The subsidiary will be based in Mumbai and will be headed by Ramesh Parasuraman. Mr. Parasuraman, who brings a total of 30 years of experience in the plastics industry, is currently Founder & Managing Director of Allied Solutions India and President of the Society of Plastics Engineers India.
