Food Pacific Manufacturing Journal

Ringier’s Asia Manufacturing Summit: Food and Beverages, Plastic Packaging and Plastic Recycling Technology held in August, proved to be another successful event from the company. It was followed a month later by the Plastic Applications in Food and Beverage Packaging Summit in Manila. In these conferences, there was a show of interest in sustainable packaging, recycling, and the circular economy, thanks to the presentations of keynote speakers Mr Crispian Lao who is Commissioner of the National Solid Waste Management Commission and founding president of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), Mr Henky Wibawa of the Indonesia Packaging Federation, and other presentors at these events. They shared their passion to help effect change in the industry.

Their sentiments in fact are echoed in how manufacturers are looking toward 2020 and beyond. In our outlook report for processing and packaging, equipment providers with their innovative and efficient machines can help manufacturers address waste reduction, better use of resources, and facilitate PET recycling.

Still on the topic of sustainability, Ivan Idrovo, a value chain/market systems development international consultant, avidly follows developments in the coconut sector. His report in this magazine issue contains an overview of the industry and the highlights from three events that took place this year: World Coconut Congress, Cocoweek and its Trade & Investment Forum, and the International Coconut Session and the Ministerial Meeting.