The Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) will join the global packaging community in marking the first World Packaging Day, established by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) as an annual event.
The WPO selected 6 September because it marks the anniversary of the organisation’s foundation.
The AIP is a full member of the WPO and has strong representation within its leadership. AIP executive director Nerida Kelton is the WPO vice-president for Sustainability & Save Food, while AIP member Professor Pierre Pienaar is the organisation’s immediate past president.
The Institute said World Packaging Day provided an opportunity to build wider understanding of packaging’s role in containing, protecting, preserving and transporting products through the value chain.
It also pointed to the contribution of packaging design in reducing food loss and waste, lowering environmental impacts and improving accessibility for consumers.
According to the AIP, sustainable packaging may incorporate material reduction, recycled content, mono-material structures, reuse systems and improved end-of-life recyclability while continuing to meet its functional requirements.
The Institute also identified accessible and inclusive packaging as a priority, noting that packs should be intuitive and designed around the lived experience of people who have difficulty opening, closing, gripping or handling packaging.
World Packaging Day is intended to recognise these functions while encouraging broader discussion about packaging’s place in modern society.
