John Bigley is the newly elected president of the Australian Institute of Packaging and MD of the fast expanding Zipform Packaging.
An active member of the Australian packaging industry since 2011, Bigley shares his insights with PKN.
You’ve spent 37 years in packaging to date – what led you to a career in this industry, and what are your main career highlights?
I have always been fascinated by manufacturing and upon graduating with a mechanical engineering degree, I was fortunate enough to be recruited by Metal Box, which at the time was one of the largest packaging companies in the world. Early on, I fell in love with packaging and its role in society in terms of product preservation and protection, branding and sustainability. In terms of highlights to date, chief among them would be my involvement in trade associations in the UK and Australia, having held chairman/president roles in both geographies in aerosols associations. Most recently, my engagement with the AIP as a board member and now president is, of course, a major highlight. My view on such involvement is that it is a key responsibility of larger businesses to support SMEs in whatever industry they work in, plus it is a huge opportunity for personal learning as you work within teams you don’t directly manage, meaning you have to hone your influencing skills, the hardest to develop. I would encourage anyone in the industry to push themselves to engage.
You have worked in companies making packaging across a range of materials. In your view, is the future bright for fibre?
I think the future is bright for all materials that meet the National Packaging Targets. Of course my bias is towards fibre, however, fibre packaging still needs to perform functionally as well, if not better than, any forms of packaging it is designed to replace. The challenges are there for fibre to meet specific standards, such as pulpability, PFAS NI, and FSC certification, but I am pleased to say at Zipform Packaging, our fibre products can tick all those boxes.
What role can packaging converters play to drive innovation in sustainability?
Packaging converters have a huge role to play. Firstly, it is vital to ensure that the technical information they give customers is clear and also not misleading; there is plenty of greenwashing out there as we know. Innovation is a continuum and the role of the converters is to ensure they keep abreast of global material developments which can lead to innovative packaging solutions locally that meet the National Packaging Targets. It’s clear, as evidenced by PIDAs and Worldstar Awards, Australia punches above its weight in packaging innovation, but we can’t rest on our laurels and need to continue to introduce new packaging to market.
What is your vision for the AIP in your presidency tenure?
Well, I have two years or maybe a little more, so it’s hard to have a vision for that time. However, certainly with all the activity in regulatory reform of packaging the AIP is going to have to play a pivotal role in advising government and educating the packaging and broader community around sustainable packaging design, and also packaging design that minimises food waste. We have a great team within the AIP, and alongside my new fellow board members, I am sure that we can build on the incredible foundation that has been built over many years. Given packaging’s ever increasing profile, it is a great opportunity to grow the AIP’s membership base and deliver even more educational touch points.
What are the challenges for skills development and training?
I think with all the talk around the 2025 National Packaging Targets, many companies are waking up to the realisation that packaging professionals are a necessity not a luxury. Whereas a few years ago it was a “push” to get packaging training and education embedded in organisations, it is much more of a “pull” now. Of course, there are still challenges in finding resources (time and money) but the realisation is dawning that training is an investment that delivers returns in spades. It is essential as packaging professionals retire we can back-fill with new talent.
This “pull” is evidenced by students undertaking the Diploma in Packaging Technology and the uptake in the Certificate in Packaging, a high number of professionals busy working on their Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) designation, the continual enrolments in the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology bite-sized modules, the 5000 people who attended the AIP training courses, workshops and sessions in the last year, and a record 100 students undertaking the last round of the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation degree.
What advice can you offer anyone considering a career in packaging?
Don’t be afraid to ask. Seek out a mentor – there are plenty of packaging professionals in the community willing to help you. Clearly, becoming an AIP member opens a door to a huge amount of training material and access to industry experts. However, forge your own path, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to pick up new challenges that appear daunting. I can honestly say I have never felt truly comfortable in any job I have done over my journey so far, and that reflects an attitude of continuous learning and development. There’s always something new out there to stretch you.
This article was first published in the September-October 2023 print issue of PKN Packaging News, p42.
