Mother Dairy launches India's first naturally degradable milk pouch ahead of World Environment Day

New Delhi ( Vivek Ojha ) : Mother Dairy has unveiled what it described as India's first naturally degradable milk pouch, a packaging innovation the company said would leave no trace of plastic in the environment. This innovation will begin in Delhi-NCR on June 5. The new packaging breaks down into natural elements in soil within years. This addresses plastic waste from milk pouches. The company assures consumers that prices will not change. This development marks a significant step for sustainable packaging in India's dairy sector.

Mother Dairy sells around 55 lakh litres of milk per day across multiple states and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The new pouch uses a degradable packaging technology that enables the material to transform into bioavailable wax, which is then broken down by microbes present in the soil into natural elements. The company said the packaging is designed to degrade in soil within a few years, as opposed to centuries for conventional plastic.

The company said the pouches will remain recyclable, with the key differentiator being their ability to also degrade into natural elements addressing the problem of fugitive plastic, or plastic that escapes formal waste collection and recycling systems.