Making packaging more sustainable in NZ

How do you work your way through the maze of demands to change packaging to meet environmental challenges?

This conundrum and more will be answered at a half-day training course, titled Introduction to Sustainable Packaging Design, organised by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and Packaging New Zealand.

The course, presented by Ralph Moyle FAIP, CPP, is designed to assist anyone who is responsible in their business to make packaging changes to meet ‘war on waste’ questions, and changes to retailer and consumer trends and behaviours — while not spending any more money at the end.

Attendees will get a better understanding of the practical guidelines and criteria needed to design and develop sustainable packaging including the sustainability hierarchy of reduce, re-use then recycle and the circular economy approach to packaging and the environment.

Discussions will also cover plastic, glass and metal packaging and their impact on the environment, and whether the use of non-renewable resources, plant-based bioplastics, compostable and recycled materials, and various tools can assist their business to understand the full life of packaging.

Participants will be invited to bring with them a sample of their company’s packaging materials to use as a case study.

As part of the course, attendees will visit a material recovery facility (MRF) where they will be able to get a real-life understanding of what is and is not separated out for possible recycling, and why.

The course objectives:

• To provide participants an understanding of the current environmental issues that are impacting the producers of packaging and the manufacturers and retailers of packaged product.
• To provide participants an understanding of sustainable packaging design and the practical design guidelines and approaches required in the packaging design process including end-of-life (EoL) thinking.
• To provide participants with a better view of best practice examples and case studies of award-winning sustainable packaging and save food packaging innovations.

The course is scheduled for 13 February 2019 and places are limited. Visit http://aipack.com.au/event-registration/?ee=176 to ensure you will be there.