UNDP launches training for pulp-based packaging in Mauritius
The UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme has launched a series of hands-on training sessions to establish a circular packaging economy in Mauritius. The project supports the use of biomass to create functional pulp-based packaging.
The project, “Enhancing the Livelihood of Vulnerable Groups through Circular Economy and Development of Green Products as Replacement for Single-Use Plastics,” is facilitated by researchers from the University of Mauritius and led by Professor Haree Ramasawmy. The training seeks to improve local capacity and foster green skills that support a transition to a circular economy within communities.
Professor Ramasawmy says: “We wanted to get started with a micro-industry in the field of biomass. The project consists of several components: designing the machines, selecting potential beneficiaries, conducting training sessions, and finally, handing over the machines.”
“The machines will be provided free of charge to selected SMEs, NGOs, and cooperative associations in Mauritius, including [the island of] Rodrigues. We will be distributing ten production lines. Each production line consists of three machines: one for fiber extraction, one for pulp production, and one molding machine used to manufacture the final products.”
The products serve as an innovative and eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics.“These products may include seedling trays, plant pots, food containers, takeaway boxes, gift boxes, and other sustainable packaging solutions.”
Shifting to local alternatives
The sessions include an introduction to the key concepts of circular economy practices, resource efficiency, and the environmental imperative to replace single-use plastics with biodegradable, locally sourced alternatives.
Participants engage in live demonstrations using the machinery developed by researchers under the project. These include a fiber-extracting machine that repurposes banana waste and other biomass into usable fiber, a machine that converts fiber into pulp, and a molding machine that produces eco-friendly packaging or products.
The initiative contributes to Mauritius’ ongoing efforts to reduce plastic waste and transition toward circular models of development. The Government of Mauritius has set its target to make Mauritius a plastic-free island by 2030.
Currently, Mauritius is hosting the French laboratory vessel Plastic Odyssey as part of its 33rd stopover under the regional initiative “Expédition Plastique dans l’Océan Indien.” The vessel shares sustainable innovations in plastic waste management across the Indian Ocean.
