Mumbai, 13 October 2026: Specialty packaging leader EPL Limited today announced that sustainable packaging reached 43% of its global tube sales in H1 FY2026-27, a dramatic eightfold increase from 5% in FY2021-22. The company has expanded its manufacturing capability across 21 facilities in 11 countries to produce sustainable formats at commercial scale, keeping it firmly on track to achieve 60% sustainable tube sales by 2030 while advancing its ultimate target of a 100% sustainable product portfolio.
The growth reflects accelerating adoption of recyclable, recycled, and bio-based packaging across Oral Care, Beauty & Cosmetics, Pharma & Healthcare, Food & Nutrition, and Home Care markets globally. Operating 21 facilities across 11 countries and producing over 9 billion tubes annually, EPL has successfully scaled its manufacturing capabilities, with over 85% of global installed capacity now fully equipped to support high-volume commercial production of sustainable formats.
“Reaching 43% sustainable tube sales is more than a milestone: it is a clear testament to how rapidly our industry is evolving toward circularity,” said Hemant Bakshi, Managing Director & Global CEO, EPL Limited. “At EPL, we are not merely participating in this transition; we are actively leading it by bridging the gap between breakthrough materials science and high-volume, commercial-scale execution. By embedding recyclable, recycled, and bio-based packaging into our global manufacturing footprint across 11 countries, we empower the world’s leading brands to meet their ambitious sustainability targets without compromising on quality, aesthetics, or performance. As we accelerate toward our goal of 60% sustainable tube sales by 2030, our focus remains on defining the future of responsible packaging at global scale.”
Recyclable Platforms and Material Innovation
A cornerstone of EPL’s sustainable portfolio is its Platina family – a fully recyclable tube laminate compatible with the HDPE recycling stream. Designed with optimized EVOH barrier structures, Platina offers superior oxygen and moisture protection while maintaining full recyclability, recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in the U.S. and RecyClass in Europe.
EPL continues to drive material circularity through its expanded product portfolio:
* Etain & r-Platina: High-PCR platforms incorporating up to 50% and 60% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content respectively, while retaining full compatibility with the HDPE recycling stream.
* Organic GML: Renewable feedstock solutions incorporating up to 50% biogenic carbon content in the tube sleeve.
* Recycled Content Surge: Consumption of recycled input materials reached 566 tonnes in FY2025-26 (up from 113 tonnes in FY2021-22), increasing the share of recycled inputs in total production to 1.12%.
Strategic Customer Collaboration
Customer partnerships remain key to scaling sustainable packaging. In India, EPL collaborated with Colgate-Palmolive to transition its oral care portfolio from conventional Aluminium Barrier Laminates (ABL) to recyclable Plastic Barrier Laminates (PBL) using thin-gauge structures. The initiative balanced product protection, flavor retention, and material efficiency, earning the CII Sustainable Packaging Award 2025.
Patents and R&D Investment
In FY2025-26, EPL filed 23 patent applications and was granted 27 patents, expanding its global IP portfolio to 154 granted patents. Current R&D programs focus on next-generation mono-material structures, lightweighting, higher PCR integration, and circular packaging formats.
People, Capability, and Community Impact
EPL’s sustainability transition is underpinned by workforce capability, gender diversity, and community-level circularity initiatives:
“Achieving ambitious circular packaging targets requires more than advanced materials science—it requires a future-ready, empowered workforce with purpose, ambition, clarity, transparency and inclusion” said Sonal Jain, Global CHRO, Transformation & Marketing at EPL Limited. “Through continuous learning and sustainability capability-building programs across our 11 operating countries, we are embedding responsible practices into every level of our operations. Fostering an inclusive culture where women represent 33% of our global team ensures our people remain the primary engine driving our sustainable growth.”
Under its EPL IMPACKT initiative, there are 1,37,000 beneficiaries who have been positively impacted by the program across initiatives like local plastic circularity by upcycling operational waste into durable school furniture, delivering benches schools while benefiting community members through localized ESG programs aligned with SDG goals.
ESG Leadership and Decarbonization Roadmap
EPL’s comprehensive sustainability strategy is backed by top-tier global ESG recognitions: Global Accolades: Awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Rating, placing EPL in the top 1% of evaluated companies globally, alongside CDP Climate & Water ‘A List’ status and the UN Global Compact Forward Faster Award for Sustainable Supply Chain Excellence.
Climate Commitments: SBTi-aligned targets commit EPL to a 55% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, a 42% reduction in Scope 3 emissions, and a long-term goal of Net Zero across the value chain by 2050. Operations maintain ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications.
EPL Limited was named a joint winner of the Green Company of the Year – Large category at the PrintWeek Awards 2026, recognising its measurable progress in emissions reduction, renewable energy adoption, circular packaging and sustainable supply chain practices. With approximately 86% of its greenhouse gas emissions arising from its value chain, EPL has established SBTi-validated targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55% and Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 42% by 2030, while progressing towards net-zero emissions by 2050. Supported by a sustainable tube portfolio that now represents 39% of its product portfolio, the recognition reflects EPL‘s commitment to delivering packaging solutions that advance circularity and create long-term environmental value.
As part of Sustainability Month, EPL highlights how continuous investments in material science, global manufacturing, and strategic partnerships are making circular packaging a commercial reality worldwide.