The Mumbai-headquartered EPL is listed on the National Stock Exchange – its biggest shareholder being private equity investor Blackstone. A global leader in laminated plastic tubes, providing primarily to the FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors, the company operates 21 manufacturing facilities across 11 countries, with a market presence in over 100 countries. In India, it runs eight plants.
Over the past few years, we have interacted with EPL’s leadership and senior managers and have observed a strong culture of innovation and technical excellence. The company’s R&D and application development teams continue to deliver laminate structures that meet evolving global waste and recyclability standards.
In addition, we continue to observe how this company uses the latest technology to streamline and centralize various processes that enable it to be the most committed company on sustainability that we have come across anywhere. We recently visited EPL’s tube manufacturing site in Vapi.
EPL’s core strength lies in its comprehensive tube packaging portfolio, which includes laminated tubes, extruded plastic tubes, and a growing range of sustainable packaging formats.. The company caters to a broad spectrum of applications—from oral care and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics, food, and home care. With a dominant global position in oral care tubes, EPL is also rapidly expanding its presence in beauty and personal care.
A pioneer in laminate tube innovation, EPL has consistently brought industry-first solutions to market, combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of brand needs. Among its notable advancements is the Platina range—an eco-friendly, recyclable laminated tube certified by leading global recyclability bodies, APR and RecyClass. Another standout is Etain, a smart digital packaging and anti-counterfeiting solution designed to boost consumer engagement and ensure product authenticity. These breakthroughs reflect the strength of EPL’s in-house R&D, which continues to drive forward-looking solutions that balance functionality, brand impact, and environmental responsibility.
Sustainability remains a core pillar of EPL’s strategy, embedded across its product design, operations, and organizational culture. On the product front, EPL focuses on recyclable structures, material reduction through lightweighting, and alternatives that support a circular economy. The company’s sustainable tube portfolio enables global brands to achieve their environmental commitments without compromising performance or aesthetics.

EPL’s sustainability focus goes beyond products to include its people, processes, and communities. The company invests in energy-efficient technologies and process improvements to reduce emissions and waste, while steadily transitioning to renewable energy. On the people front, EPL promotes inclusive hiring, safety, and continuous learning, while also leading in gender diversity and onboarding persons with disabilities. Through focused CSR initiatives in health, education, and infrastructure, EPL supports the well-being of communities around its plants—reinforcing its belief that true sustainability is inclusive and far-reaching.
Vapi plant
Located near Mumbai, EPL’s Vapi plant is one of its flagship manufacturing units in India. It brings together key functions—tubing, injection molding, printing, and graphics—into one integrated location. It also serves as a design and artwork hub, supporting customers across EPL’s global footprint. The plant produces caps through its molding lines for both internal use and supply to other EPL facilities. With laminates sourced from a nearby EPL unit, the site benefits from close coordination and end-to-end alignment of the supply chain.
Printing and decoration
EPL’s Vapi plant offers a comprehensive mix of printing technologies to support both high-volume and premium packaging formats. The site operates four flexographic presses with up to 12-color configurations, capable of advanced decoration such as screen printing, foil stamping, soft-touch finishes, and matte or gloss varnishes—all in a single pass across substrates such as transparent, metallic, and white films.
For short-run and quick-turnaround jobs, particularly in pharma and promotional categories, the plant runs two high-performance digital presses designed for agility and precision. In addition, six letterpress machines continue to support large-scale production for categories such as oral care and industrial applications.
This versatile print setup allows EPL to deliver consistent quality, customization, and speed to market—across a wide range of customer needs.
Graphics capabilities

Design and pre-press capabilities at Vapi play a vital role in helping brands translate their concepts into standout packaging. The unit is equipped with thermal photopolymer plate technology, digital imaging systems, and UV exposure units, enabling in-house production of high-quality flexo plates. Color accuracy is maintained through calibrated color management systems and proofing workflows that ensure print consistency across substrates and runs.
A secure digital artwork exchange platform supports real-time collaboration while safeguarding confidentiality, helping EPL meet the speed and precision demands of global brands. The team works closely with customers across regions, offering the flexibility and responsiveness essential in today’s fast-moving market.
Driving digital transformation
As the packaging landscape evolves, EPL has made steady investments in digital technology at Vapi. The plant operates two high-performance digital presses that enable variable data printing, allowing personalized content and multiple SKUs to be produced in a single run—without the need for separate plates. This is especially effective for low-MOQ orders and smaller diameters, helping improve frame utilization and minimize waste. EPL uses sustainable water-based inks, supported by corona treatment and priming, followed by a dedicated post-print varnishing system to ensure strong adhesion, durability, and shelf appeal. Today, digital printing contributes to nearly 20% of the plant’s monthly output, helping brands respond faster to market needs while advancing their sustainability goals.
Sustainability in flexo
EPL’s Vapi plant continues to embed sustainability into its print operations through smart, future-ready upgrades. One such initiative is the adoption of a laser-based anilox cleaning system, introduced six months ago, which has eliminated water usage during routine cleaning—reducing daily consumption by up to 150 liters. The system also ensures consistent roller performance, which is critical to maintaining high print quality.
As the plant evolves, there is a clear shift from legacy equipment toward more advanced flexographic lines that support faster changeovers, reduce material waste, and improve energy efficiency. These investments are part of EPL’s broader effort to make its operations leaner, cleaner, and more responsive—supporting both business performance and long-term sustainability goals.
Built-in quality standards
At EPL, quality begins well before production. A structured Incoming Quality Control (IQC) system, fully integrated with SAP, ensures that all raw and packaging inputs are carefully verified and tested before use. Deliveries are inspected for damage or labeling issues and then undergo lab checks for parameters such as melt flow, bond strength, and dispersion. Materials that meet EPL’s standards are released for production, while others are held back or rejected with full traceability. This disciplined approach helps maintain consistency and reliability—particularly important for categories like oral care and pharmaceuticals.
Community engagement and inclusion
Beyond the shop floor, the Vapi plant actively contributes to the surrounding community through focused CSR initiatives. These include programs in healthcare, education, sanitation, and skill development, aimed at improving the quality of life and enabling long-term livelihood opportunities for local youth. The plant also plays a key role in EPL’s broader inclusion agenda, with several PwD employees integrated into its workforce in meaningful roles. These efforts reflect EPL’s belief that responsible manufacturing goes hand-in-hand with social impact—creating value not just for customers, but for communities as well.