INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL INDIAN SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING MATERIALS, REGIONAL STARTUPS, AND DESIGN THINKING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: A REVIEW

Abstract

The growing environmental threat posed by plastic waste—particularly from the packaging sector—necessitates a shift toward sustainable, scalable, and culturally integrated alternatives. India, with its deep reservoir of traditional knowledge and biodiversity, offers a rich foundation for reimagining packaging through indigenous materials such as pigol leaves, jute, sal leaves, clay, and palm fronds. This study explores the potential of these region-specific materials across North, South, East, and West of India, analyzing their ecological advantages, practical limitations, and revival through contemporary design thinking methodologies. Using the Double Diamond Model as a design framework, the study evaluates how startups like LeafyPack, Jutify, MittiCool, and EcoRoots apply iterative, user-centered innovation to transform traditional materials into commercially viable packaging solutions. A comparative analysis of these ventures reveals both the promise and challenges—ranging from scalability and durability to policy gaps and consumer awareness—that currently limit widespread adoption.

The study also provides a forward-looking strategy emphasizing design-policy integration, smart packaging technologies, decentralized rural production hubs, and university-led incubation for craft-tech startups. These recommendations aim to bridge the rural-urban divide and position India as a global leader in packaging. By synthesizing traditional material wisdom with modern innovation tools, this research contributes to the discourse on environmentally conscious design and inclusive entrepreneurship. It underscores that India’s sustainable packaging revolution lies not in reinventing, but in redesigning and rediscovering its own heritage to meet contemporary ecological and economic needs.