DoP and IIP join hands for greener postal solutions

The Department of Posts (DoP) under the Ministry of Communications has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to advance sustainable packaging solutions for India’s postal services.

The agreement was signed in Mumbai at the Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle, by Sudhir Jakhere, IPoS, APMG (BD & Mktg.), Department of Posts, and Babu Rao Guduri, Additional Director, Indian Institute of Packaging.

The collaboration aims to create innovative and eco-friendly packaging alternatives for India Post’s parcel services. IIP will develop sustainable solutions to replace existing materials such as corrugated boxes and cloth wraps. It will also work on airworthy packaging for liquids and other sensitive items, using lightweight, shockproof, durable and scalable materials that are both cost-efficient and customisable.

As part of the MoU, IIP will assess the Department’s practices against global benchmarks and analyse logistics industry standards. It will also prepare a pricing approach paper to outline strategies for adopting sustainable materials, comparing costs with conventional options and defining technical standards for design, size and quality control.

The partnership further includes the creation of training materials with videos and graphics to guide staff on sustainable packaging practices.

With IIP’s 58 years of expertise in packaging technology and DoP’s vast network of over 1.65 lakh post offices, the collaboration is expected to strengthen the Government’s vision of environmental sustainability while ensuring safe and secure postal services across India.