Dr Carol Kilcullen-Lawrence, sustainability consultant, UPM Raflatac has won the 2022 PIDA Packaging Industry Professional of the Year award.
The Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award recognises and acknowledges the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the packaging industry in Australia and New Zealand. The judges look for individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership, have shows innovation and are not afraid to take risks. This award is for significant and continued contribution of an individual to the industry over a minimum period of 20 years.
A specialist in the field of self-adhesive labelling, Kilcullen-Lawrence has over 30 years’ experience in the packaging industry, having held various roles including technical and marketing and for the last decade, sustainability.
The PIDA judges concurred that she has contributed significantly to the industry and the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), and is recognised as a positive, passionate, and quiet achiever for the industry.
Starting her career with a role as technical services manager with Jac Australia, Kilcullen-Lawrence progressed to marketing manager where the opportunity for product development arose by working on specific technical challenges faced by customers. This led to some novel products, including adhesives for medical applications like blood donation labels.
Her current role as sustainability consultant to UPM Raflatac has provided her with an opportunity to tackle some of the challenging aspects associated with label waste from a converter's perspective, combined with responsible sourcing and the technical aspect of ensuring the label is exactly matched with the package to enhance package recyclability.
With a background in Polymer Chemistry and her PhD gained at Loughborough University of Technology, UK, Kilcullen-Lawrence has a good understanding of the science of the vast array of packaging materials – why each type may be selected to protect a product and carry vital information for the consumer, then be recoverable as a resource once discarded, plus a multitude of steps in between.
Acknowledged for her significant contribution to the industry, Kilcullen-Lawrence has been awarded a Fellowship of the AIP and has served on the board as southern director and immediate past president. She is a lecturer on the University of Melbourne Master of Food and Packaging Innovation and has also attained the internationally accredited Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) designation that is recognised in over 60 countries.
In September last year, she featured on the PKN Podcast with Petrina Bint, general manager labels at Wedderburn, in a discussion on recycling label liners and in particular, original label release liner recycling service, RafCycle.
Kilcullen-Lawrence takes her passion for sustainability into her personal life. Involved in surf life saving for over 10 years, patrolling and training surf rescue skills, she launched the inaugural Green Patrol this season at Hampton Life Saving Club. The event involved a beach clean by the local community, including a snorkel crew with an under-water litter pick, and presentations to the club's nippers, demonstrating the impact of litter by the Marine Mammal Foundation. Local politicians were invited, together with Life Saving Victoria and the day was such a success that plans are underway for the next Green Patrol to be rolled out state-wide.
