Working Groups meet and co-operate

The Sustainable Packaging WG tackled the question of ocean litter, with a short presentation and discussion asking: ‘How can packaging be part of the solution?’

Chaired by Carlos Diaz of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Sandeep Kulkarni of KoolEarth Solutions, the meeting heard how different non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments and businesses are putting forward their own solutions. Those attending agreed on the need for critical assessment of specific proposals.

The group also talked about co-operation between members and with other WGs, such as Packaging & Consumers.

Meanwhile, chaired by Changfeng Ge of RIT, the Distribution Packaging WG heard a proposal for the stability of unitized pallet loads to be identified as a topic for research and testing. This included discussion of existing methods for assessing unitized loads, such as multi-axis vibration testing.

Other topics debated included the need for simple and effective tools to determine the safety of unitized loads in transit.

Virpi Korhonen of PTR, Finland, who chaired the Packaging & Consumers WG meeting, pointed out that 10 out of the 100 oral presentations at the Conference focused on consumer-related issues, from universal design to communication and food waste.

The group is already proposing collaboration with the new A&I Packaging WG. The objective is to create case studies on consumer value for A&I packaging, and to prepare one of these for presentation at next year’s IAPRI Symposium at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

The A&I Packaging WG has been approved by the IAPRI Board and will meet for the first time at Twente next year. The aim is to accelerate research co-operation in this area, says convener of the group Selcuk Yildirim of Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Switzerland.

Those interested in a WG should contact the relevant convener:
A&I Packaging: selcuk.yildirim@zhaw.ch
Distribution Packaging: cfgmet@rit.edu
Packaging & Consumers: virpi.korhonen@ptr.fi
Sustainable Packaging: cdamet@rit.edu