Indian Railways To Replace Plastic With Biodegradable Compostable Materials
The compliant bioplastic degrades in compost within a short time (around 180 days), while conventional plastic does not degrade for many years.
Published : August 15, 2025 at 3:39 PM IST
By Chanchal Mukherjee
New Delhi: The Indian Railways has introduced eco-friendly green bedroll bags, replacing traditional plastic bags used for distributing linen to passengers on the trains. The initiative, to be started on a pilot basis in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), is aimed at maintaining a sustainable environment and soil health.
This compliant bioplastic degrades in compost within a short time (around 180 days), while conventional plastic does not degrade for many years. If this initiative is successful, then it will be implemented in other railway zones, a senior railway official said.
Highlighting the benefits of this material, Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Professor and Coordinator of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Polymers, told ETV Bharat that these bedrolls are made of a unique formulation using compostable material, which will assimilate quickly in the soil compared to conventional plastics.
“It is also published by the research group that ingredients of such material will also enhance the fertility of the soil. Hence, such material as packaging may help the environment and also reduce the carbon footprint,” he said.
“The Research Group is working with NFR to replace other single-use plastic products with compostable ones. It is important to mention that IIT Guwahati is well-equipped to provide solutions on biodegradable plastics. We are working to provide antimicrobial/anti-fungal packaging products which are unique in this class,” Katiyar pointed out.
The NFR has taken a significant step towards environmental sustainability by joining hands with IIT Guwahati, led by Prof. Katiyar, to introduce biodegradable and compostable materials as a replacement for conventional plastic.
Developed at IIT Guwahati’s in-house Research and Development facility, this ISO 17088-compliant bioplastic degrades in compost within a short time (180 days) as per soil and temperature conditions.
The initiative was formally rolled out on Friday, coinciding with the celebration of India’s 79th Independence Day, with around 40,000 such bags to be distributed across 25 trains originating from terminals in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Public Relations Officer NFR Kapinjal Kishore Sharma.
"NFR has always been at the forefront towards adopting green initiatives over its transportation system,” Sharma stated.
Notably, the inoculum generation plant at Kamakhya has played a vital role in recycling biodegradable waste, which helps in reprocessing used bedroll bags into new ones, further reducing plastic pollution.
“The collaboration with IIT Guwahati, coupled with NFR’s sustained eco-friendly measures, marks a practical and scalable approach towards greener railway operations. This initiative not only enhances passenger convenience through durable and environmentally responsible solutions but also contributes towards reducing landfill waste, lowering the carbon footprint and conserving natural resources,” CPRO Sharma added.
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