Page 19 - Food&Drink magazine November-December 2022

LEFT: PKN Packaging News managing editor and publisher Lindy Hughson spoke to industry disruptors, Julia Kay from Great Wrap and Joanne Howarth from Planet Protector Packaging.
BELOW: Cath Cornaggia from Avery Dennison shared her passion for empowering girls and women through education.
BOTTOM: Joanne Howarth.
WOMEN IN PACKAGING
THE DISRUPTORS
Julia Kay, co-founder and co-CEO of Great Wrap and Joanne Howarth, founder and CEO of Planet Protector Packaging are two powerhouses of change in the industry.
In a Q&A session with Hughson, the pair spoke about the highs, lows, frustrations, and triumphs of entrepreneurship. Howarth shared news that the company had just passed the milestone of preventing 10 million polystyrene shippers ending up in landfill.
“We’re looking to expand into new verticals – things like geotech insulation, and the wine sector, which we have already established in South Australia. We’ve got a lot of projects happening, but you need to move fast because the markets move fast,” she said.
Kay discussed how Great Wrap was born and its remarkable growth trajectory in three years. The business recently expanded to a 12,000 square metre facility.
Kay and Howarth reflected onwhatittooktobea champion of change, citing consistency, leadership, passion, and the ability to tell a story that resonates as vital components.
“The biggest takeaway for me
is that no matter how far your brand or businesses technology goes, at the end of the day, it comes down to the power of the team. You can have the most perfect theoretical process, but it’s nothing like having a strong team that’s excited by the product,” said Kay.
THE POWER OF EDUCTION
Cath Cornaggia is the commercial director for Avery Dennison’s Labels & Packaging Materials ANZ, and a passionate advocate for empowering girls and women through education to create lasting change.
Through the Avery Dennison Foundation, Cornaggia advances education, sustainability, and women’s empowerment. She is also an executive sponsor of a women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), which holds around
100 volunteering events every year in the Asia Pacific, with more than 1400 participants.
“This is beyond getting girls into school... It’s that they are able to acquire the knowledge and skills to compete in the labour market to gain the socio-economic and life skills necessary to navigate a changing world, to make decisions about their own lives, and contribute to their
communities and the world,” she said.
IN ADDITION...
Other presentations included Sally Carter, Brookfarm’s head of procurement, and Jessica Ansell, OF Packaging’s marketing manager, who unpacked the story behind Brookfarm’s adoption of the award-winning Roll ‘n Recycle mono-material pouch developed by OF Packaging, revealing how close collaboration played an important role in bringing the project to commercial fruition.
And completing the day was a panel discussion with women actively involved in driving sustainable change in the industry. The head of communications for tna Solutions, Bindu Panicker, steered the panel through a vibrant discussion.
Panellists were: Zaidee Jackson, national BDM – Sustainable Packaging, Ball & Doggett; Nerida Kelton, executive director, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP); and Sally Williams, Sustainability advocate, Martogg Group.
Jackson spoke of the importance of the supplier brand-owner relationship, when it comes to driving sustainable
change via better packaging choices while Kelton shared an update on the work the AIP is doing to advance the fight against food waste.
Williams reflected on her career, shifting from Brand Power (the branded advertising concept representing leading FMCG brands) to focus on the sustainability sector and help industry and consumers make more sustainable choices.
Closing out the session, Hughson reiterated her thanks to the sponsors, speakers, and audience, all of whom she said had played a huge part in the successoftheevent. ✷
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | November-December 2022 | Food&Drink business | 19