India’s plastic waste problem has created an urgent need for alternatives to conventional packaging. At a science and technology exhibition in New Delhi, scientists at the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, are showcasing a bottle that could replace the ubiquitous plastic one. Its developers say it can break down within months of disposal.
On Wednesday, on the sidelines of the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026, the institute transferred the technology to Pune-based start-up m/s Mridaa Polymers, in the presence of Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh. The package includes the bio-polymer bottle technology and biodegradable composites based on polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT).
“The aim is to replace the PET bottle, because PET is non-degradable and is causing environmental pollution,” says Dr Anjineyulu Kothakota, the scientist who developed the bottle.
From agricultural waste to packaging
The bottle is made from polylactic acid (PLA)-based biopolymers blended with natural materials, including sugarcane waste and starch from tapioca and potato. “It should be transparent, and it should be elastic and flexible. For that purpose, we use such natural materials,” Kothakota says.
According to the developers, the bottle matches conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in clarity and weight and has a shelf life of more than a year. It is meant for drinking water, juices, soft drinks and other food products. The developers say it degrades in about six months under natural conditions, and in about three months in composting conditions. These timelines have not been independently verified.
The composites
The institute developed the PBAT composites under a CSIR Mission Mode Project, ‘Sustainable Packaging Solutions for a Net Zero Future’. They come as ready-to-use pellets reinforced with fibre, which can be processed on conventional machinery, including extrusion blow moulding, injection moulding, thermoforming and compression moulding, into self-supporting bottles and containers.
The institute describes the material as flexible, easy to process and industrially compostable. It is aimed at personal care, pharmaceutical and food-delivery packaging, as an alternative to small single-use bottles and takeaway containers.
“The Sustainable Packaging Mission’s motto is to replace plastic wherever possible in packaging,” Kothakota says.
Towards the market
Work on the bottle began about two years ago, according to R.S. Praveen Raj, Scientist responsible for IP Management and Technology Transfer at the institute. A patent application has been filed but not yet granted. Other companies have also approached the institute.
“There are many enquiries for licensing this technology. We prefer to license this know-how on a non-exclusive basis only. Our aim is technology penetration. We want to ensure that the technology benefits reach out to the maximum number of people across the country,” says Praveen Raj.
The institute’s director, Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan, said it aims to turn research into scalable, industry-ready technologies, and that the conclave helps connect research with industry and speed up commercial adoption.
