During his recent visit to India for the ElitePlus Conference in Mumbai, Hayato Kashiwagi, regional business product director at DIC Asia Pacific, interacted with The Packman on the sidelines of the event, sharing his views on the evolving landscape of sustainable packaging and DIC’s role in driving solutions for the future.
Kashiwagi expressed both excitement and cautious optimism about the country’s packaging industry. “It’s very good to be here. India is a very big and growing market, and every visit is exciting,” he said.
The challenge of defining sustainability’s path
On the challenges the industry faces in advancing recyclability and circularity, he pointed to the uncertainty over which route the sector should prioritize. “Recyclability and circularity are very important. As DIC, we have multiple solutions for our customers and brand owners. As a solution provider, we have to be prepared for everything.”
Comparing global trends, he observed that Europe implements sustainability practices more rapidly, while Asia follows, typically adopting similar measures a few years later. In Europe, the transition has been very fast, driven by strict regulations like banning single-use plastics and mandating recyclables in packaging. Similar regulations will drive real sustainability in Asia as well.”
De-inking – a future enabler of recycling
De-inking, widely seen as a key enabler of recycling, has been a strong area of focus for DIC. “De-inking is a technology developed mainly for surface printing. If inks remain on recycled films, you can’t get a clear recyclate and have to downcycle. Our de-inking technology allows the ink to come off, enabling clear recyclates to re-enter the supply chain. This technology is already commercial, and we sell de-inking inks globally,” Kashiwagi explained.
However, adoption remains very limited. The infrastructure is not ready, but brand owners and converters are preparing for when it will be. Our de-inking technology allows the ink to come off, enabling clear recyclates to re-enter the supply chain. This technology is already commercial, and we sell de-inking inks globally,” Kashiwagi noted. He described de-inking as a “future technology” whose time is yet to come.
Embedding sustainability in product development
Looking ahead, Kashiwagi emphasized that sustainability is embedded in nearly all of DIC’s new product development. “The majority of our newly developed technologies have a sustainability target – whether it’s making products more recyclable, reducing CO2, or down-gauging laminates. It’s not about DIC pushing sustainability on customers; it’s about responding to market and customer requirements.”
Observing India’s progress
Reflecting on his visit to India after several years, Kashiwagi noted significant changes. “The market has changed, players have changed, and the attitude toward sustainability has changed a lot. Talking to customers and listening to panel discussions gave me new insights. I was particularly surprised to see that flexible packaging recycling is already happening here – recyclers are collecting, sorting, and processing plastics. I thought this was still something for the future, but it’s already happening today.”
He concluded that the purpose of his visit was largely to observe and learn. “Gathering information and understanding the market was the mission for my travel this time. It has given me a lot of insights and pleasant surprises.”