Packaging science students host Packaging Jamboree

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A. Sue Weisler

RIT students in the packaging science program are hosting the annual Packaging Jamboree, a student conference about industry trends, sustainability and design and manufacturing processes at the university on March 10-11. Students from a previous RIT packaging class display their award-winning redesign of consumer products.

Students in the packaging science program at Rochester Institute of technology are hosting the 32^nd annual Packaging Jamboree on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12, at the university. The conference begins at 9:30 a.m. each day and takes place in RIT’s Louise Slaughter Hall.

This year’s theme is “Meeting Global Challenges” and focuses on innovations and technologies that are helping improve problems in the environment. It is organized and run entirely by students.

More than 150 students from collegiate packaging science programs at RIT, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Michigan State and the University of Wisconsin will participate in the conference. Keynote presentations include information about trends in packaging design and production as well as sustainability in flexible packaging. Wegmans staff will present information about tackling food waste as part of the featured workshops. Others will focus on packaging and e-commerce, brand management and packaging evaluation and preparation. Current research and demonstrations will also be a part of the overall conference proceedings.

At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, student teams will participate in the Great Corrugated Challenge, a packaging design challenge where teams are expected to build chairs made of corrugated materials and tape. Teams will be judged on creativity, materials used and functionality.

The full itinerary for the Packaging Jamboree can be found online.