Page 64 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020

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60 OF THE BEST | PKN 60 YEARS SPECIAL
packaging mediums, a proven ability to solve problems and identify opportunities for improvement, and great knowledge and experience in manufacturing processes and analytical procedures in the food and packaging industries.
Apart from recognising his ongoing con- tribution to training packaging technolo- gists, Haberland’s work on refining, testing and embedding Safety Factor theory in the design of corrugated boxes marked a step- change in the industry in the ‘70s. He col- laborated with suppliers and the supply chain to test and validate the theory, then implemented this into Nestlé’s procedures, resulting in significant time and cost sav- ings. He has continued to adapt the theory as the industry has evolved, from the increase of recycled content to the intro- duction of shelf ready corrugated boxes with perforations. Corrugated boxes are ubiquitous in secondary and tertiary pack- aging, therefore the impact of being able to quickly and accurately calculate the poten- tial performance of a corrugated box with- out the need of lengthy and many trials has been phenomenal.
For his service to industry, Haberland has been awarded an AIP Fellowship.
Brendon Holmes
Brendon Holmes, managing director of Caps and Closures, is described by his col- leagues as “a true visionary in the packag- ing industry”. He is passionate about inno- vation, sustainability and recycling, and constantly drives developments in design and manufacturing processes. Holmes actively seeks better ways to serve the industry by introducing advancements in raw materials, providing carbon footprint reduction and biodegradability.
Holmes’ focus on providing ongoing advancements to the packaging industry, and his drive for innovation excellence has been rewarded with numerous packaging innova- tion awards in Australia, and with two con- secutive WorldStar awards internationally.
Amid the Covid-19 crisis, the introduc- tion of three materials (an anti-microbial, a biodegradable, and a bio-renewable) has been a vital addition to the company’s port- folio and the wider industry. One protects
against viruses and other infections for safer product handling; one accelerates biodeg- radation in plastic, and the other reduces the product carbon footprint significantly.
Joanne Howarth
Joanne Howarth, CEO and Founder of Planet Protector Packaging (PPP) is on the forefront of innovative packaging solutions using waste materials as alternatives to common problematic plastics. Named Cartier Women’s Initiative Laureate 2020 for South Asia and Oceania, Howarth is leveraging this success to open the doors to Asia and beyond.
PPP’s latest R&D initiative, the 100 per cent plastic free Lobster Protector, has entered the market with a 2020 PIDA Award in the food category. Howarth is always pushing her team to imagine new applica- tions for the wool, and has partnered with the Fight Food Waste CRC, Queensland University of Technology and University of Queensland to see these innovative ideas come to fruition.
Supported by the Australian Govern- ment’s Impact Investment Ready Growth Grant, PPP is preparing to go for a capital raise in early 2021. Their most recent win was announced as PKN went to press – the company has won the inaugural Ocean Impact Pitchfest. PPP was one of three Aus- tralian finalists out of 200 applications worldwide in the initiative hosted by Ocean Impact Organisation, all of which were pitching an innovation to positively impact the world’s oceans.
Mark Jacobsen
Mark Jacobsen is the co-founder and direc- tor of Replas, Australia’s leading mixed
recycled plastic manufacturer which aims to provide a solution for plastic waste by delivering quality cost effective sustain- able products. The company produces a range of over 200 recycled plastic products in Australia using state-of-the-art machin- ery and robotics, with a focus on energy and efficiency. The product range includes bollards, decking, fencing, fitness trails and furniture as well as products suitable for traffic control, parks, gardens and the utilities industry
Replas has been an important partner for REDcycle (see Elizabeth Kasell citation below) and was instrumental in creating the program we know today.
Jacobsen’s driving purpose is to ensure that people understand that soft plastics are a valuable resource that can be recycled into other products like furniture. He also strives to ensure that there is an end mar- ket for Replas items.
Elizabeth Kasell
Elizabeth Kasell has lived flexible pack- aging for a long time and was the vision- ary behind REDcycle. She started the program as an education program through schools with Replas that pro- moted plastic recycling, which is what RED stood for: ‘Recycle-Educate-make- a-Difference’. Kasell’s ability to draw in the right people to get her programmes off the ground is a credit to her; she can reach all levels of people from children to corporate CEOs, and see her ideas through. It is so easy to have an idea but to bring that idea to tangible fruition requires a risk-taking demeanour and many hours of hard work, which Kasell delivers in spades.
Kasell deserves recognition for bring- ing together brand owners, supermarkets and manufacturers to help towards solv- ing the problem of an ever increasing sup- ply of packaging going to landfill and developing a true circular economy model of recycling. Kasell understands that there is more to recycling than just col- lecting materials. She is the reason Australia has the REDcycle programme, now strongly supported by supermarkets and brand owners.
www.packagingnews.com.au | November–December 2020