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WPO--a crucial participant in the global packaging community

The World Packaging Organization was founded in 1968 on the occasion of the second Japanese International Packaging Exhibition.

Pw 3563 Thomas Schneider

Today, WPO’s mission can be summarized as follows: “Better Quality of Life Through Better Packaging for More People.” With that mission in mind, WPO encourages the development of packaging technology, science, and engineering; stimulation of international trade; and the advancement of packaging education and training.

WPO is made up of member organizations from 38 countries. Many members are packaging institutes, focused on education for the packaging professional, including curricula that lead to diplomas. Other significant members are national or regional trade organizations that promote their countries’ packaging products. In recent years, WPO has focused on packaging in developing nations.

WPO was directly instrumental in establishing Packaging Institutes in Ghana and Nigeria. The founding of these two bodies has had a direct benefit on the economies of these developing countries. In addition, their membership in WPO has made it possible for them to tap into the knowledge and experience of all the other WPO members. The 2008 WPO board meeting in Accra, Ghana, added huge value to IOPG and increased their status within the Ghanaian packaging industry and government. Keith Pearson, President of WPO, asked a Ghanaian student what he thought of the training workshop WPO sponsored in India about two years ago. The student’s reply was, “The training I received there forms the basis of my packaging knowledge and has proved invaluable in my job.”

And now, IOP-Ghana has just introduced its own diploma course as of February 4, 2010. They have been supported by advice and have received textbooks from South Africa as well as a few textbooks from IoPP in the US. They are also developing a package testing laboratory.

Several years ago, PackTec in Tunisia had assistance from the Danish Technological Institute in setting up their package and materials testing laboratory. The Tunisian testing laboratory is one of the finest facilities I have ever had the opportunity to visit and stands tall by any developed nation’s standards. And now, PackTec is partnering with Lebanon to achieve the same result.

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