Packaging expert Professor Pierre Pienaar was elected World Packaging Organisation (WPO) president for a second term, starting in January 2021, WPO announced today.
The former pharmacist turned packaging-engineering professor currently lectures Masters students in Food Innovation and Packaging at University of Melbourne, Beijing University, Sichuan University, Tra Vinh University, Gadjah MadaUniversity and University of New South Wales.
In his acceptance speech, Pienaar pledged to continue to work towards his original mission “to use packaging to eradicate hunger and poverty around the globe”, and added that he would focus on making society see packaging as “part of the solution and not the problem”, WPO said in a press release.
To achieve his stated aim, Pienaar has appointed an executive team of high-level international packaging professionals to work with him throughout his second term (2021-2023), and three WPO Ambassadors to represent the organisation in an advisory capacity to the president.
“We cannot ignore that some countries still face the extreme inequality of income,” Pienaar said. “Packaging alone cannot fix this problem. However, when we consider all elements - design, material, innovative products, technological advancements, responsible, sustainable, reusable, environmentally-friendly packaging - we can explore the opportunities for the packaging industry in the value chain that could get more food to more people around the globe.”
WPO is a non-profit, non-governmental, international federation of packaging institutes, associations, federations and other interested parties including corporations and trade associations, founded in 1968 and now headquartered in Vienna.
Its mission is “ better quality of life through better packaging for more people”.
WPO has representatives from 58 different countries.
