Kitchen and home products maker Tupperware has announced that it will switch to 100% recyclable paper based compostable packaging material in India. The company said in a statement that the brand is ready to switch from single-use plastic packaging to compostable packaging material starting October 1, 2019 for all future manufacturing in India.

With this change, the brand’s cost of manufacturing will go up by 7%. The increased cost will be absorbed internally by Tupperware India and not passed on to the consumer in any way. The decision to move away from SUP, the company says, comes after 6 months of research, evaluation of options and initial testing in India and select international markets

“We are pleased to see that our consistent effort towards eliminating the use of SUP, has found a strong voice in the government, with Hon’ble PM, giving out a clarion call on elimination of SUP from India. Today, there is huge awareness around the need to switch over from SUP to environmentally friendly alternatives. Our global vision “No time to waste” is also aimed at significantly reducing plastic and food waste through product innovation, packaging reduction, operational goals and strategic partnerships,” Deepak Chhabra, Managing Director, Tupperware India, said.

The company says that the 100% recyclable packaging is not only safe for the environment but has passed all safety tests conducted across India, Brazil and Indonesia. The new packaging will keep the product safe in extreme climatic conditions across locations, including warehouses, point of sale outlets and even in transit. The packaging is food contact safe, humidity proof and will protect the products from dust and scratches throughout the logistics cycle.