PNN
New Delhi [India], February 2: For decades, the fashion industry has relied on plastic packaging not because it was ideal--but because there was no better alternative. It protected garments, moved fast, and stayed cheap. The environmental cost was simply ignored.
Ukhi believes that trade-off no longer makes sense.
Today, the company introduced Ecogran, a biodegradable and compostable packaging material designed for fashion brands and e-commerce at scale--one that delivers lower cost and lower environmental impact at the same time.
The problem Ukhi is addressing is massive, yet largely invisible. The global fashion industry produces an estimated 180 billion polybags every year. Most are used once, rarely recycled, and quietly end up in landfills, oceans, or broken down into microplastics. Over time, these bags have become both an environmental liability and a growing regulatory challenge for brands.
Ukhi started with a simple question: What if packaging could disappear--without costing more?
The answer is Ecogran. A compostable biomaterial engineered for high-volume use, Ecogran is made from renewable inputs and designed to fully biodegrade under industrial composting conditions, without leaving toxic residues behind. It looks and performs like plastic--but it isn't plastic.
More importantly, it's cheaper.
In India, conventional polypropylene (PP) bags are required by regulation to be at least 120 microns thick, increasing material usage and cost. Ecogran-based compostable packaging is not bound by this restriction, allowing manufacturers to use less material while maintaining strength and durability.
The result is a significant shift in economics. A standard 13" x 16" plastic carry bag costs between ₹3.6 and ₹4.61 per piece. An equivalent Ecogran-based biodegradable bag can cost as low as ₹1.05 to ₹2.5 per piece, depending on size and application. Across garment bags and industrial pouches, Ecogran consistently undercuts traditional plastic pricing--while meeting performance standards.
"For years, sustainability came with a premium," said a spokesperson for Ukhi. "We decided that was the wrong problem to accept. With Ecogran, brands don't have to pay more to do the right thing."
Ecogran is also designed to work with existing plastic manufacturing infrastructure, allowing converters and brands to switch materials without changing machines, processes, or supply chains. The bags are lighter, strong, and durable--reducing transportation costs and improving operational efficiency.
This launch comes at a moment when fashion brands are under increasing pressure--from regulators, from consumers, and from their own sustainability commitments--to reduce single-use plastics. Packaging, long overlooked, is now impossible to ignore.
Industry observers note that cost has been the single biggest barrier preventing compostable materials from scaling. Ukhi's approach removes that barrier entirely, delivering up to 70-80 per cent cost savings compared to equivalent plastic formats.
Ukhi plans to scale Ecogran production across India and international markets, working with fashion brands, packaging manufacturers, and e-commerce platforms. The goal is not to create a niche alternative--but to make biodegradable packaging the default.
Because when something is better--and costs less--it doesn't need convincing. It simply replaces what came before.
For more information, please visit: https://ukhi.com/
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