The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) lead training and education programs as a part of FoodTech Packtech, which was held in Auckland last week.
Over the three days, in September, AIP provided discussions on key issues that are challenging the food and beverage industries.
Discussions included fighting food waste, save food and sustainable packaging designs, the issues within end-of-life recycling facilities and a better understanding of lifecycle analysis.
AIP had a full house for the new half-day training course on the role of packaging in minimising food waste with attendees including staff from Frucor, Fonterra, Danone, and Multivac.
READ: AIP will run food waste and packaging seminars at FoodTech PackTech
The course provided participants with an introduction to the seriousness of food waste in Australia and New Zealand and how we can all make a difference as team members of the product-packaging design process to this issue.
It also covered packaging design criteria for best-practice save food packaging design developments that should be considered.
Key takeaways from the attendees included a new focus on what a business needs to do to improve its packaging design.
Businesses gained a better understanding of the true benefits that packaging plays in minimising food waste and a better awareness that packaging does have a role to play in relation to food loss.
Key takeaways from the attendees of the fighting food waste, save food and sustainable packaging design seminar included gaining a better view of the current issues in sustainable packaging design.
One attendee said that once packaging is designed, businesses need to start looking at the next step in improvements as the journey never ends.
AIP had a joint stand with Packaging New Zealand that showcased all the 2018 Packaging Innovation and Design Award winners for both Australia and New Zealand and the WorldStar Packaging Awards.
The Australian Institute of Packaging will be a partner of the next FoodTech PackTech event in 2020.