SINGAPORE – Leaders of the Packaging Industry from 14 Asian countries will to meet in Singapore on Nov 28 and 29th November for what may prove to be a major industry turning point as the debate will focus on the crucial issue of Sustainability in Asia.

The packaging industry leaders gathering in Singapore are members of the Asian Packaging Federation (APF), an organisation of 19 Packaging Institutes, Associations and Councils from the region’s 14 member countries, who will be attending the APF 40th Anniversary Congress with sustainability being the key issue.

According to Albert Lim, President of the APF and the Packaging Council of Singapore  “The first APF Congress was held in 1967 in Kyoto, so it is more than appropriate that we address environmental sustainability in packaging at the Singapore conference”.

“Although it may appear that sustainability is a recent phenomenon which has just been discovered by the mainstream media, it is a subjects which the packaging industry has been aware of for decades.”

“Therefore, the packaging chain is probably one of the industry sectors best prepared and with the most experience in meeting today’s sustainability challenges.

“The overarching environmental issues driving sustainability demands include climate change, energy sources, our use of natural resources and the disposal of waste.  For packaging the drivers of the environmental response to these challenges come both from legislative and non-legislative sources.”

Driven by the Asian industry need to understand the sustainability drivers, the organisers of the two-day Congress have lined up a thought provoking array of top-level speakers:

• Carl Olsmats, Secretary General of the World Packaging Organisation will introduce the topic of Sustainability from a global perspective
• Dr Paul Singh, board member of International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) will travel from Michigan State University and will co-present a paper entitled ‘Use of Life  Cycle Assessment and Sustainability Initiatives by Major US Retailers”
•  Dr Vanee Chonhenchob - Head of Department of Packaging Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, will be his co-presenter and will address the impact in Asia of US Sustainability Initiatives
• Julian Carroll, Julian Carroll, Managing Director, the European Packaging Environmental Association (EUROPEN) flies in from Brussels to give a paper entitled “Producer Responsibility for Packaging: Will Asia follow the European example?”
• Arriving from Tokyo, Dr Akira Shirakura, Executive Advisor of Patent Firm I'LL and Technical Advisor to the Japan Packaging Institute will address the need for Corporate Social Responsibility in Packaging, while Dr Kunio Sawamura, Director, Japan Packaging Research Institute, Tokyo will discuss the practical aspects in “What is Sustainability - The Japanese Experience”.
• Tomas Svenson, Sustainability Director, Tetra Pak China will discuss Renewability, Carbon Footprint and Recycling in Asia.

Asia regional focus

• Dr Raul C Hernandez, former President WPO, President San Miguel Packaging Products, & Under-Secretary of State for Industry, Philippines now Director Philippines Packaging Centre, Manila, will come to Singapore to present a paper on “Appropriate Sustainability in the Philippine Context”
• Rajiv Dhar, Director, Indian Institute of Packaging will come from Mumbai to introduce the current sustainable initiatives in India
• Prof Li Jianhua, President, China National Export Commodities Packaging Research Institute (CEPI) in Beijing will present “Compliance, The Chinese Perspective

Brand Owner Driven

However, if the issue of appropriate packaging and sustainability is to take root in Asia the brand owner will be the crucial driver, with this in mind:

• Bruce Funnel - Group Manager, Packaging and Innovations Network (OAC), Nestle R&D Centre, Singapore, will discuss Reduction of Packaging  environmental impact, Nestle’s integrated waste management, Source reduction, Bioplastics - myths and claims, Renewable materials drivers, Requirements  for Packaging (food safety, barrier, functionality, etc.), Limitations and opportunities and Challenges in the waste chain
• Paul Clegg, Former Global Head of Packaging Division, Unilever, will fly in from the UK to present his findings after 40 years of MNC packaging “Cheap is no longer Enough! Brand Owner Strategies for Package Reduction”

The Day After

If dealing with the issues of Sustainability are tackling Tomorrow’s Problem – then what about the day after?

The monger-term issues which the packaging sector will face in the future.

Wal Mart has introduced Sustainability as a factor in its supplier selection and pre-qualification process, via The Scorecard.

And, as other major multinational retailers discover that Environment is a major consumer marketing tool, they too have begun to implement highly visible CSR practices which will impact on the packaging industry.

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Carrefour and Makro all have well defined policies which if they are implemented fully will have brand owners struggling to meet a different set of requirements for each of them.

A 1-day workshop, led by Julian Carroll and Paul Clegg has been added to the Conference Programme (on 30th November) to tackle The Day After Tomorrow.

The APF Congress (28-29th November) is being organised by the Packaging Council of Singapore, and is open to non APF members.

• A 2-day Delegate Pass costs US$680 - inclusive of lunch, Welcome Cocktail Networking Reception hosted by Interpack (Messe Düsseldorf Asia) and a reservation at the Gala AsiaStar Awards Presentation Dinner (29th evening).
• The Day After workshop session costs an additional US$80 and is only available to Conference Delegates.
• Packaging Council of Australia members are entitled to 25% discount. 

Or visit us at: http:// apfcongress.packwebasia.com

About the APF

The formation of an Federation of Asian Packaging organisations and associations was first proposed in Tokyo at the International Conference on the 7th September 1996 held in conjunction with the first ever Tokyo Pack, this was also the first international packaging conference held in Asia.

More than 135 people from 16 countries attended the conference and as a result it was decided that two packaging organizations be formed: A global organisation and an Asian regional grouping - these later became World Packaging Organisation and Asian Packaging Federation (APF).

The Inaugural General Meeting of the Asian Packaging Federation was held, appropriately, in Kyoto in July, 1997 and has been a force to unite the packaging interests of all trade and industries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, under one co-operative umbrella with the objective to enhance cross-country co-operation among all packaging-related bodies, covering a gamut of subjects like training & education, package development, environmental aspects, law and regulations.