74: Careers in packaging: on the front line of the fight for a sustainable future

Sustainable packaging is no longer a nice-to-have, but a responsibility of all manufacturers and retailers to deliver on, as they face ever more scrutiny from consumers on their sustainability credentials. It’s never been a more exciting time for a career in the sector, we’ll take a look at what is influencing developments in packaging, and the challenges and rewards of working within sustainable packaging. How has the skillset changed in order to meet the demands of the more eco conscious consumer and improve the health of the planet? What next-gen materials and packaging alternatives are on the horizon? Where is the next generation of packaging technologists coming from and how can we ensure that they are armed with the right skills to evolve sustainable packaging to the next level? Joining our panel are two pioneers of sustainable packaging, Pierre Paslier, Co-Founder, Notpla and Kevin Vyse, Head of Technical, RAP UK. About our panel Pierre Paslier, Co-Founder, Notpla Pierre is a London-based Innovation Design Engineer. After graduating from the RCA, he cofounded three startups, Notpla, Skipping Rocks Lab (edible water bottle) and Gravity Sketch (3D design tool). When he’s not working on these innovative startups, you can find him building 3D printers, home made drones and mechanical-drawing robots. He has given a number of conferences about his projects including TEDx conferences and has written for Wired Magazine. Skipping Rocks Lab is a sustainable packaging startup based in London. We’ve created Ooho!, the edible water bottle. It’s a flexible sachet made of seaweed, entirely natural and biodegradable. Our goal is to create a waste-free alternative to small plastic bottles and cups. Oohos can encapsulate any beverage including water, soft drinks, spirits and sauces. At the heart of our solution is a machine to locally produce Oohos in the range of 10-150mL per sachet. Akin to a barista coffee machine, the business model of Skipping Rocks Lab is to provide machine and materials for marathons, festivals and takeaway restaurants to produce and sell fresh Oohos on site. Kevin Vyse, Head of Technical, RAP UK Kevin’s career has spanned three decades in packaging design and development. He has worked for many of the best known brands in the UK and Europe as well as for manufacturers and retailers. He also wrote the Plastic Packaging Strategy for Plan A – an initiative by Marks & Spencer that called for plastic to become a circular industrial resource, rather than exportable waste or environmental pollution.