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For the past 3 years, Royal Crown Packaging Limited has been running the Annual Students Packaging Research and Innovation program aimed at exposing tertiary students to RCPL manufacturing processes and guiding them to identify and address operational challenges and bottlenecks in the manufacture of corrugated boxes. The program has thus helped to create interest in the field of packaging among university students.

Previous events have focused on research and innovation ideas within RCPL.

In this 4^th edition taking place from 20^th June to 4^th July 2022, we wish to move the challenge to an international level with the possibility of using this competition to task students from Four (4) Universities (University of Ghana, K.N.U.S.T, Ashesi University and Academic City College) to come up with designs that can be presented to the World Packaging Organization WorldStar Student Competition 2022.

This is a major platform where students around the world showcase their talent by producing innovative packaging solutions and we would like Ghana to be fully represented this year.

The students will be expected to research into various topics and birth innovative packaging ideas and designs for selection and entry into the 2022 WPO WorldStar Student Competition. Below are the topics selected for this year:

• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers an opportunity for Ghanaian products to be sold across the continent, but poor packaging can be a barrier. Present a proposal on how to improve local packaging and design a primary package (plastic) and secondary packaging (corrugated box) for selected Kasapreko products to achieve export competitiveness on the African market.
• Post-consumer plastic packaging waste is a major issue in Ghana. Present a proposal on how to create value from plastic waste and design a consumer or distribution package using post-consumer waste or recycled plastic material.
• Ghana loses huge quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables due to lack of or inadequate packaging. Present a proposal to minimize post-harvest loss of fresh fruit and vegetables using effective packaging systems and design one such packaging to reduce this loss.
• Paper waste can be harnessed for recycling to create value. Present a proposal for effective collection of all types of waste paper for recycling and provide a design of paper-based packaging from waste.

The project is facilitated yearly on our behalf by Institute of Packaging Ghana with lecturers from the various universities and 3 students representing each school.

This year we have brought on 2 major packaging convertors and users Kasapreko and Qualiplast as major partners.

We wish the students from the various Universities good luck.