The Hidden Plastic Waste Behind Every Meal
Small condiment sachets containing ketchup, chilli sauce, mayonnaise or seasonings are among the most common forms of multi-layer plastic (MLP) packaging generated by food courts, restaurants and takeaway outlets.
Although each sachet weighs only a few grams, millions are used every day across India.
Unlike PET bottles, which have an established recycling market, sachets are extremely difficult to recycle because they are made by laminating multiple layers of plastic and aluminium together. These layers cannot be separated economically using conventional recycling processes.
As a result, most used sachets end up in landfills, are littered in public spaces, or enter drains and water bodies, eventually contributing to plastic pollution.
The Hidden Waste in Food Delivery
Food delivery has created another source of unnecessary sachet waste.
In many online food delivery orders, ketchup, chilli flakes, oregano, seasoning and disposable cutlery are included by default, even when customers do not need them. Unlike dining in, customers often have no opportunity to refuse these items before the order is packed.
With millions of food delivery orders placed across India every month, even if a small fraction of these sachets remain unopened and are discarded directly into household waste bins, the result is the generation of millions of unnecessary pieces of single-use packaging every year.
Providing customers with a simple “Include condiments only if requested” option can prevent a significant quantity of avoidable packaging waste at source.
Why Are Sachets Used?
Restaurants typically provide sachets because they are:
- Hygienic
- Easy to distribute
- Branded
- Portion controlled
- Convenient for takeaway
However, in many food courts, sachets are taken even when customers do not need them.
This results in unnecessary consumption of packaging that is used for only a few seconds but persists in the environment for decades.
Environmental Challenges
- Made from multi-layer plastic (MLP), which is difficult to recycle.
- Often contaminated with food residue, making recovery even harder.
- Lightweight packaging is easily blown away by wind.
- Frequently escapes waste collection systems.
- Contributes to littering of streets, rivers and public places.
- Has very low economic value for waste pickers, reducing the incentive for collection.
Health Considerations
While the food inside approved sachets is considered safe for consumption within its intended shelf life, excessive reliance on single-use packaged products increases the overall use of plastic packaging.
From a sustainability perspective, reducing unnecessary single-use packaging lowers plastic waste generation and the environmental burden associated with its manufacture, transport and disposal.
The Waste Hierarchy
The most effective strategy is not improved recycling, but avoiding unnecessary sachets altogether.
Instead of providing every customer with disposable sachets by default, food courts can:
- Place refillable condiment bottles on shared tables.
- Provide sachets only when specifically requested.
- Charge a nominal amount for additional sachets to discourage unnecessary use.
This reduces packaging waste at the source while maintaining customer choice.
Scale of the Problem
Reliable India-wide statistics on ketchup sachet consumption in mall food courts are not publicly available. However, reasonable estimates illustrate the scale.
Example: A Medium-Sized Mall Food Court
Assumptions:
- 1,800–2,500 meals served per day
- Around 40–60% of customers take at least one ketchup sachet
- Average: 1 sachet per meal requiring ketchup
Estimated consumption:
| Period | Approximate Sachets |
|---|---|
| Per Day | 800–1,200 |
| Per Month | 24,000–36,000 |
| Per Year | 290,000–430,000 |
Large metropolitan malls with heavier footfall may generate significantly higher numbers.
Even if only half of these sachets are avoided through behavioural changes and default redesign, hundreds of thousands of pieces of single-use packaging can be prevented annually from a single food court.