

CHENNAI: Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, judicial member of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stressed the need to balance industrial growth with environmental protection. She said industries should adopt eco-friendly technologies to build a cleaner and greener future.
She was delivering the inaugural address at the one-day national training programme on ‘The Circular Economy Transition-2026’ held at the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in Chennai on Saturday.
The programme included technical sessions on compostable materials made from Polylactic Acid (PLA), circular economy practices, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), certification standards, sustainable packaging and global developments in biodegradable polymers.
Experts explained the latest technologies, government regulations and business opportunities in the sustainable plastics sector.
The programme was aimed at helping promote innovation, responsible manufacturing and the use of environmentally friendly materials, supporting India’s move towards a circular economy.
Senior government officials, industry representatives, scientists, academicians and experts from the plastics and packaging sectors participated in the meeting that was jointly organised by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the Union government, ICPA, and CIPET.
Participants included plastic manufacturers, packaging companies, recyclers, researchers, faculty members, students, entrepreneurs and sustainability professionals from across the country.