Success factors for the adoption of bio based packaging

Abstract: This paper is written as a contribution towards a sustainable society in the context of bio-based packaging. A few decades back, the world was looking for processes that were efficient in terms of output and quality, but now the situation has changed. The world is looking for solutions which are not only effective and efficient but also are sustainable and positive for not just economics but also for the society. This paper is also an effort to elaborate the potential of bio-based packaging. However, this thesis covers the aspects presented by different key players along the value chain which increases the contribution of this thesis towards the real world. Other motive of this paper is to give attention to the plastic waste accumulation in the seas.This paper will make use of Geels’s Multi Level Perspective theory along with Roger’s adoption theory to enlighten the key factors for adoption of bio-based packaging. Geels’s theory will introduce the concepts of evolution of a niche level product into a main stream market product. The evolution does not only depend upon the attributes of the product, it depends on many macro elements like landscape pressure or sudden change in the outside environment.Different hypothesis or proposals are presented in this paper on the basis of Geels’s Multilevel Perspective (MLP) theory to demonstrate the possible situation for bio-based packaging product to be either accepted or rejected by the key players in the current regime. The most influential factors discovered during the research process are price, supplier strength and technological feasibility of bio-based packaging with the status quo.The dilemma for the key players in this economically unstable situation is investment associated with the new packaging schemes and the incentives or business logic in bio-based packaging materials. Currently, the concentration of key players in this business arena is more on cost saving by making the process more efficient and product differentiation which somehow makes the road to success for bio-based packaging much narrower.Nevertheless, bio-based packaging has shown great potential in terms of technological feasibility and improvement in price. If bio-based packaging opt economies of scale, price can effectively improve and make bio-based packaging competent. Bio-based packaging seems the legitimate solution for the thousands of tons of plastic waste accumulating in the seas of the world which is already having severe effects on sea life which will indirectly affect human health.