2025 AIP Australasian Packaging Conference

The AIP is currently at the planning stage of the 2025 Australasian Packaging Conference that will be held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, NSW, Australia on 6-7 May 2025.

The 2025 Australasian Packaging Conference will be designed to deliver a two-day educational program that will cover a broad range of topics relating to the theme Reimagine Packaging Design. Having served the industry for over three decades, this two-day event is the only industry-led packaging conference that has been tailored to bring together packaging professionals from across the ANZ region.

The Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards will also be held alongside of the conference on 6 May.

The industry in the ANZ region has started to review not only how packaging can meet the founding principles of the 2025 National Packaging Targets, but also be design-ready and recycle-ready to meet the incoming Mandated National Packaging Design Standards.

This conference will create the opportunity to discuss the path forward for the industry as a whole and a design roadmap that will help to create a circular economy for packaging.

Key topics will include:

• Moving packaging design towards and beyond 2030.
• Preparing your packaging design for Extended Producer Responsibility looking at global best practice such as PPWR.
• Looking at eco modulation for kerbside collection and the flow on for new design standards.
• The incoming National Packaging Design Standards and why you need to be ready.
• The shift towards mono materials.
• The reduction of chemicals of concern within packaging such as PFAS.
• The elimination of PVC, PVDC, PETG, oxo degradable, landfill degradable materials in packaging.
• Increasing the use of recycled content in your packaging and why this is important for the circular economy.
• Reducing evidence-based problematic and unnecessary packaging.
• Avoidance and reduction of all packaging (primary, secondary and tertiary).
• Emptiability of the pack and ensuring no product waste through intuitive packaging design.
• Reduction of the weight of packaging without impacting product protection or shelf life.
• Reduction of materials that are seen as contaminants to recycling systems in Australia & NZ.
• Plastics packaging to be recyclable through kerbside collection, alternate pathways such as the Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia/Curby or chemical/advanced recycling.
• The ability for the packaging to be recycled or reprocessed in Australia and/or NZ.
• Implementation and expansion of models for reusable packaging (primary, secondary and tertiary).
• Understanding Materials Recovery Facilities and how they link to design.
• Consistent on-pack labelling for consumers and best practice consumer education campaigns from across the globe.

The conference will also discuss future pathways in the ANZ region for chemical and advanced recycling, soft plastics recycling, container deposit schemes, single-use plastic regulations, alternate pathways, and collection programs for non-kerbside recyclable packaging.