Saewhan Kim, a Graduate Research Assistant from Virginia Tech's - Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design was selected at random from 20 first time IAPRI presenters at this year's Member Conference. He won $500 as part of the IAPRI Career Start Award sponsored by Dr. Paul Singh.

The Distribution Packaging, Packaging & Consumers, and the Active & Intelligent Packaging Working Groups are going to be holding Zoom Meetings on June 14th, the day before the Member Conference begins.

The US-based Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) is inviting responses to its challenge to find primary packaging design innovations to combat food waste. Those interested have until 18 June 2021 to submit entries for the SPC’s Food Waste Repackaged.

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded Michigan State University (MSU) close to $500,000 for a project exploring intelligent packaging, combining nanoscale sensors with printed electronics able to transmit data about freshness and spoilage.

Germany’s Fraunhofer IVV has provided updates on the FreshInPac project, using active packaging to help keep produce fresh, and on a new project involving several Fraunhofer institutes – Waste4Future - aimed at maximising carbon recycling from plastics waste.

Michigan State University (MSU) School of Packaging has formed a partnership with new local sustainability initiative NextCycle Michigan, which aims to maximize opportunities for developing recycling, recovery and other environmentally-driven businesses in the state.

A half-century on from the official founding of IAPRI in 1971, we look at one of the critical decades for the association, when the membership nearly trebled, the geographical footprint began a decisive shift, and communication at Board and membership levels underwent important changes.

With the 30th IAPRI Member Conference due to reach your screens in two weeks’ time, now is the ideal time to take stock of this important member event, map out the most exciting papers, plan your route from stream-to-stream – and register, of course, if you have not done so already.

You have a fantastic new technology or novel material, but how do you scale it up and demonstrate a route to commercialisation? IAPRI members share their experiences in different areas.

The role of affiliate members within IAPRI is an important one, acting as a bridge between their own members, when it comes to other associations, and the packaging research and education community worldwide. The Turkish Packaging Manufacturers’ Association (ASD) is a prime example of this – and an enduring one, in the context of IAPRI.

Things are starting to turn to the better and our 2021 Member Conference is going to be virtual. But with Zoom Meetings and the Whova App it presents an opportunity for us all to still get together live via Meet Ups and other planned networking sessions.