Packaging education in Indonesia

The island nation of Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country and packaging is a vital part of its industry and economy. The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) recently held its first international packaging training course and workshop for 2014 in the country.

Delivered in conjunction with the Indonesian Packaging Federation (IPF) and the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), the course was held over 5-8 March 2014.

The training event comprised two parallel workshops in Bali: two days of class lecturing and discussions and a visit to the Food, Hotel & Tourism Expo in the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre. The workshop’s aim was to equip participants with greater in-depth knowledge in order for them to tackle the challenges facing the packaging industry in their current environment and to prepare them for the competitive advantages emerging in the Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s (ASEAN’s) Economic Community Market.

The AIP Packaging Technology short, intensive training courses grow participants’ confidence in packaging capabilities, providing a level of insight and understanding of the packaging industry that adds real and measurable value to careers and businesses. Packaging Workshop A had a focus on paper board, rigid plastic packaging and labels, while Packaging Workshop B covered flexible packaging, tubes and paper board packaging.

Participants at the 2014 AIP packaging training course and workshop in Indonesia.

It was a wonderful week of learning and sharing of experiences and challenges for all participants. In attendance were students from the various islands of Indonesia, and from Singapore, China and Canada. Once again, the desire and the need for greater knowledge and up-to-date expertise in the science and technology of packaging was clearly evident.

By far the majority of the students present were graduates in some field or other but their careers had found them associated with the packaging industry where they either feel overwhelmed or underqualified or, by their own admission after a week’s training, in a new situation where they discovered that they “never knew what they didn’t know!”

All were enthusiastic with their new knowledge. Their final project presentations on the fourth day reflected a high standard of input and learning by the students. They were confident that their learning would make a significant difference in their workplace and in future decisions.

As with many developing countries, the greatest challenge is the packaging of local foodstuffs as well as packaging for the informal sector. Developed countries can learn from packaging partners in the Asian nations. The majority of Indonesia’s population shops frugally for everyday food and personal needs at the traditional markets called the pasar.

Crowded with small carts and lined with small stores, the pasar is a hive of activity. They sell every possible household good, some wrapped and many not when it comes to foodstuffs. Packaging is largely driven by consumer affordability.

Much fresh produce is sold at the pasar where, if better knowledge of material selection coupled with the correct storage was used, much less meat, fresh fruit and vegetables would be wasted. Fresh produce is often exposed to the elements resulting in short shelf life owing to ineffective storage and display conditions.

Course participants visit the Food, Hotel & Tourism Expo.

The Jakarta Post (Aprilia, Nov 2013) reports that the Food and Agriculture Organisation of Indonesia (FAO) found in 2013 that approximately one third of the total food produced for consumption in Indonesia, amounting to 1.3 billion tons per year, is lost or wasted. Indonesia produces nearly three times more food than is consumed.

Food wastage is an even higher percentage. This is a major global concern regarding poverty and greenhouse gas emissions and recyclability. This massive waste is due to food imports and is hugely influenced by the lack of effective packaging to preserve food. Surely there is a solution.

Education from a very young age on the minimisation of food wastage is a great place to start. The AIP, in collaboration with WPO, is privileged to have been asked by Indonesia to help tackle these important challenges by sharing knowledge and expertise with industry leaders. Similar training programs are scheduled for the following 12 months in Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Nigeria, Ghana and Bangladesh.

The ongoing aim of this teaching and learning is to equip more and more people with a better understanding of the impact, the effects and the power of appropriate packaging. The ubiquitous pack can be a friend or a foe, but with greater knowledge on its role from design to re-use, our world could solve many of its problems. The future of packaging and education in this field is exciting.

More information about the AIP’s education opportunities is available from www.aipack.com.au