My passion for packaging started early, with an eye for beautiful design and a curiosity to understand how items were created. At university, I studied chemical engineering and learned the transformation processes that make up packaging: from paper and plastic to the glue that binds everything together.

I discovered more about the life of packaging beyond its first use. So often, items were headed to landfill. Understanding raw materials, production processes, and recycling plants allowed me to see it did not have to be this way. Change was possible.   

 

Originally working in traditional industries around the world, I grew concerned about the negative impact waste had on the environment. I grew up in Brazil and felt deeply connected to nature. But I found myself working for companies that were contributing to a growing environmental crisis. I wanted to use my skills and insight to find new packaging solutions. This led me to study a Masters in paper engineering in Germany. As a European country with limited natural resources and no forestries, Germany has found innovative ways to optimise packaging production. It is ahead of most countries in developing a waste system that impacts lightly on the environment. 

 

When I moved to Australia in 2019, I saw how I could make an impact with my knowledge and experience. Australia has a reputation as a green country, but I was surprised to discover that its sustainability credentials needed vast improvement! I realised that the barrier to effective change was lack of clear information for individuals and business owners. It can be confusing to navigate the different recycling plants and options in different Australian states. What can be recycled in Victoria may be sent to landfill in NSW! Even if people wanted to be more sustainable, it was hard for them to know where to start. 

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AWEN represents the best design and sustainability solutions from around the globe. Taking what I’ve learned from Europe in particular, I help business owners develop creative, functional, and aesthetically pleasing designs that have minimal impact on the environment. We explore the ‘end-life’ of packaging, from standard recycling, to repurposing and reusing. Ultimately, the care a business puts into all elements of its products and packaging conveys a message about their deeper values, the respect they have for customers, and their commitment to a hopeful future for this planet.