Nerida Kelton was recently awarded a Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) for her contributions to the packaging industry over more than 20 years.
Ralph Moyle (FAIP) submitted a nomination recommendation, which was seconded by Pierre Pienaar (FAIP) and George Ganzenmuller (FAIP).
George Ganzenmuller claims that it was his charm that persuaded her to join the AIP after he had run a food and packaging symposium on the Gold Coast. Nerida Kelton was the marketing manager for Signet labels at that time.
Moyle read her citation at the awards night, as follows:
"Throughout her tenure, Nerida has encouraged anybody associated with the packaging industry to become members of the AIP. The continued growth in all levels of membership is testimony to this effort. This is while many other industry organisations have shrunk or disappeared altogether.
As a champion of change, it is worthy of note the change in gender balance of the AIP membership over Nerida’s tenure. The focus of Women in Industry programs initiated by the AIP that are now proliferating across industry are another of her initiatives.
During these 20 years, Nerida has redeveloped the AIP covering all business aspects from marketing, commercial, education, training, and associated industry partnerships. Through her actions, the AIP no longer has an Australian presence but a regional presence with its direct engagement in New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines, and other countries.
As an active lecturer and trainer in the AIP educational portfolio she is committed to helping educate and train packaging professionals in the importance of sustainable and circular packaging design and recognising best practice in this area. She recently joined the lecturing team for the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation degree at the University of Melbourne.
Nerida was the initiator of the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards for Australia and New Zealand. There are many packaging technologists who have enhanced their career and businesses who have grown new markets with the aid of these annual awards. Many have gone on to win WorldStar Awards. These creative designs add value to our society.
Nerida is open to new ideas and investigates technology improvements which can improve the delivery of the AIP's training program. To deliver these now diverse programs (there are now 28 half day training courses alone) as well as present to universities requires a well-developed and broad technical knowledge across a wide range of packaging materials and processes. I have witnessed on many occasions her well-developed packaging knowledge in these varied training programs.
It is worthy of note that she also presents in two languages, the second being Japanese, in which she is fluent..
Nerida has published numerous articles related to packaging, use of good packaging design to avoid food waste, the value of life cycle assessment to aid sustainable packaging design, smart packaging, circular design through reuse and refill packaging.
Since the Australian government established the National Food Waste Strategy, there has been considerable movement in raising the profile of how much food is wasted in this country. The AIP is involved with many of them to highlight the value of good packaging design in addressing this massive community issue. Nerida is the lead for the Save Food Packaging Consortium project within the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre and was the packaging representative on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s National Food Waste Strategy Steering Committee. There are also several global Food Waste programs operated by the World Packaging Organisation.
Nerida is passionate about educating the industry on the important role that packaging plays in minimising food waste and how designing save food packaging can make a difference. She is the lead for the Save Food Packaging Consortium project within the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre and was the packaging representative on DAWE’s National Food Waste Strategy Steering Committee.
Nerida was the first female to have ever received life membership to the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia for her significant contribution to the association and the wider industry.
The AIP is not just packaging education. The involvement of the AIP in Food Bank Christmas programs in Brisbane is an initiative of Nerida's that continues each year. She was one of the creators of this program. The volunteer program has packed over 12,000 hampers to the value of over AU$1 million in the past 10 years."
