Worth its weight in stone!

A leading Indian compounder and a US based creator of a new category of ecoforward biodegradable packaging have joined hands in India to replace single-use plastic with a mineral-based alternative. The ET Polymers caught up with them at Plastivision 2020 in Mumbai recently

- Niranjan Mudholkar

Sometime last year, Florencio Cuétara, CEO, Okeanos, met Ashwin Agarwal, Managing Director, Kandui Industries Pvt. Ltd. in Germany. Agarwal was literally stoned during that meeting and he loved it. Cuétara actually introduced him to a platform which aims to replace single-use plastic with a mineral-based alternative. The result was the establishment of Okeanos India, a joint venture partnership with between Kandui and Okeanos. The samples of their Made From Stone™ products at the Plastivision 2020 in Mumbai recently.

“We are thrilled to participate in one of the leading plastic industry events. PlastiVision is technology and innovation-driven, making it the perfect place to unveil Made From Stone™ to a captive audience of manufacturers, compounders, and consumers looking to impart real change,” explains Okeanos™ founder Florencio Cuétara.

The formation of Okeanos India has brought the Indian plastic problem into sharp focus. India is the 15th largest producer of plastic globally, creating 26,000 tons of plastic waste annually. Okeanos India will create its revolutionary Made From Stone™ products locally, while partnering with Indian nonprofits to educate the general public about plastic pollution through the Okeanos Foundation. Made From Stone™ products will reduce traditional plastic use by up to 80 percent, depending on the product. Use of locally sourced natural calcium carbonate will also lower the overall carbon footprint of the packaging by 50 percent or more, while also reducing harmful toxins and microplastics proportionately.