World Packaging Organisation

What World Packaging Organisation does

World Packaging Organisation (WPO) is a non-profit, non-governmental international federation founded on September 6, 1968 in Tokyo and currently headquartered in Vienna, Austria at Canovagasse 7/1/14. It aggregates national packaging institutes, associations, regional federations, and corporate partners from 63+ member countries into a global body that promotes packaging education, sustainability, and design standards. Core intellectual outputs include the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide (18+ languages), Waste Stream Mapping Guides (34+ countries), Position Papers, Case Studies, and packaging trends reports, developed with academic and industry partners such as FH Campus University (Austria), ECR Community, and Circular Analytics.

WPO's product surface spans three revenue lines. First, subscription memberships at €300/year across Full (voting), Full (non-voting), Affiliate, and Honorary tiers. Second, corporate partnerships at €1,500/year or €4,000 for three-year commitments, yielding brand visibility, working group access, newsletter advertising, and trade fair benefits. Third, program services: the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards (53rd edition drew 345 entries from 35 countries in 2021), WorldStar Student Packaging Awards, WPO Lifetime Achievement Awards, 3-day Packaging Technology Training Programs (2,157 students trained since 2013, ~300/year across 30+ countries), World Packaging Online Courses, the Save Food Packaging initiative (with FAO/UN Save Food Initiative), and World Packaging Day (September 6, 48 activities across 22 countries).

WPO's GTM is community-led and event-driven: it is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from voting member organizations, operates multiple working groups (Sustainability, Save Food, Education, Marketing, Governance), and concentrates flagship activity at international trade shows (notably interpack in Düsseldorf). Strategic partnerships with UNIDO (capacity building), the Save Food Initiative, and interpack anchor institutional legitimacy and event distribution. The organization is led by President Luciana Pellegrino (2024-2027 term) with a small secretariat of fewer than 10 staff supported by a General Secretary, four Vice Presidents, and a network of Global Ambassadors.

Name

World Packaging Organisation

Legal name

World Packaging Organisation

Website

https://worldpackaging.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World Packaging Organisation is a Vienna-based non-profit international federation, founded in 1968, that connects national packaging institutes and associations from 63+ countries through membership programs, corporate partnerships, global awards, training, and sustainability research resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Federation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety, Quality Standards & Regulatory Capacity Building (BPADAJAJ), Sustainability Testing, Certification & Compliance (LCA, Recyclability/Compostability Testing, FSC/PEFC) (IMALAMAK)

Keywords

• Global packaging federation
• Packaging industry association
• Circular packaging design
• Packaging education training
• WorldStar packaging awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WPO generates revenue through annual membership fees charged to national packaging institutes, associations, regional federations, and other interested parties. Full membership (voting) and Full membership (non-voting) and Affiliate membership all charge €300 per year. Honorary membership is granted without fees.
2. Corporate Partnership Fees: Annual corporate partnership fees of €1,500 per year or €4,000 for a three-year commitment. Corporate partners receive benefits including newsletter ad placements, website listings, webinar opportunities, trade fair tickets, and working group participation.
3. Awards and Recognition Programs: WPO organizes the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards, WorldStar Student Packaging Awards, and WPO Lifetime Achievement Awards. Revenue is generated through entry fees, sponsorship of award ceremonies, and associated events. The 53rd edition of WorldStar (2021) had 345 entries from 35 countries.
4. Events, Congresses and Conferences: WPO organizes meetings, congresses, and conferences including the WPO Board Meetings, Working Group meetings, and events alongside trade shows such as interpack. Revenue is generated through event organization, attendance fees, and sponsorships.
5. Education and Training Programs: WPO delivers 3-day Packaging Technology Training Programs, online courses, and certification support (including CPP - Certified Packaging Professional). Programs are financed by WPO particularly in developing countries lacking packaging training capacity.
6. Donations and Project Subsidies: The organization's statutes (§3.3) outline that material resources are raised through donations to the Association and raising of subsidies/support for projects. The MOU with UNIDO supports capacity building projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) is a non-profit international federation that connects national packaging institutes, associations, and regional federations across 66+ countries. It delivers membership services, the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards, packaging education and training programs, sustainability frameworks (Design for Recycling Guide and Waste Stream Mapping), and the Save Food Packaging initiative addressing food waste through packaging solutions.

Product overview

World Packaging Organisation (WPO) is a non-profit international federation of national packaging institutes and associations, founded in 1968 in Tokyo. WPO operates as a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of awards programs (WorldStar Global Packaging Awards, WorldStar Student Packaging Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards), education and training services (Packaging Technology Training Courses, World Packaging Online Courses, CPP certification support), and research resources (Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide, Waste Stream Mapping Guides, Position Papers, Case Studies). The organization also runs World Packaging Day (September 6) and produces World Pack Talk Shows as media content. WPO connects the global packaging community through its network of 63+ member countries, promoting packaging sustainability, food waste reduction, and industry advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorldStar Global Packaging Awards: Global packaging awards program administered by WPO to inspire packaging innovation around the globe
• WorldStar Student Awards
• World Packaging Day (WPD)
• World Pack Talk Shows

Products and services

• WorldStar Global Packaging Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3,000 persons trained through about 70 programs in 30 countries over 55 years
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPO and UNIDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation in the field of packaging and food safety training and capacity building. The purpose is 'to achieve the mutually declared objectives towards the operationalization of UNIDO's mandate for inclusive sustainable industrial development.' The MOU was signed by WPO's President Thomas Schneider and UNIDO's representative Alessandro Amoradio during the opening ceremony of an International Seminar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• FH Campus University of Applied Sciences, AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly developed the Waste Stream Mapping Guides as the second stage of the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide program. FH Campus University provides academic rigor and research capabilities to WPO's sustainability and circular economy initiatives.
• ECR CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with WPO and FH Campus University to develop the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide and Waste Stream Mapping Guides. ECR Community contributes retail and supply chain expertise to the circular packaging design program.
• Circular AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationCo-developed the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide with WPO, providing analytics expertise for circular product design and sustainability assessment.
• GPPS (Global Protocol for Packaging Sustainability)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPO supports the Global Protocol for Packaging Sustainability (GPPS 2.0), which provides guidance for performing environmental comparisons in packaging sustainability assessments.
• Save Food Initiative (FAO/UN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPO cooperates with the Save Food Initiative (an initiative of FAO/UN) and Interpack to organize the WorldStar 'Save Food Packaging' Special Award, highlighting the role of packaging in preventing food losses and food waste globally.
• InterpackflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerWPO hosts its WorldStar Awards ceremony and Board meetings at interpack, the major international packaging trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany. The partnership with interpack provides a global platform for WPO events and awards recognition.
• FSSC (Foundation FSSC) (Netherlands)coreOthersFoundation FSSC is listed as an Affiliate Member of WPO. FSSC provides food safety certification schemes globally and is a Silver Sponsor of WPO. Cooperates with WPO on food safety training and capacity building initiatives.
• European Co-Packers Association (ECPA) (Netherlands)minorOthersListed as an Affiliate Member of WPO. ECPA represents contract packing companies in Europe and contributes to packaging industry knowledge sharing within the WPO network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AIPIA (Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association): A global industry association focused on active and intelligent packaging technologies. Comparable to WPO as an industry-led association advancing a specific packaging sub-domain, but with a narrower technology focus and more commercial sponsorship mix.

Broad incumbents

• Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council): A large Brussels-based industry federation whose member companies supply packaging materials and polymers. Comparable to WPO as a Europe-anchored federation, though broader in scope and with material resources considerably larger than WPO's.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: A global non-profit that promotes the circular economy and has run the New Plastics Economy initiative. While broader than packaging, it overlaps with WPO's sustainability and circular design agenda and may compete for the same corporate sustainability sponsorship and policy attention.

Regional players

• The Packaging Association (Canada): A national Canadian trade association for the packaging industry that provides education, training, and advocacy. Functionally similar to a WPO member organization at full-country level, and therefore a direct peer for benchmarking federation service offerings.
• Asian Packaging Federation: A regional federation of national packaging associations across Asia. Operates a similar federation model to WPO but at a regional level, giving WPO a structural counterpart for cross-promotion, joint events, and competing views on global packaging governance.
• Federation of European Packaging Manufacturers (CITPA): A European federation representing packaging manufacturers that engages with EU policymakers on packaging regulation. Comparable to WPO as a federation advocating for the packaging industry, but regionally focused on Europe and more directly engaged with EU regulatory processes.

Direct peers

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition: A US-based non-profit project of GreenBlue that brings together businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies to advance sustainable packaging. Comparable to WPO as a member-driven coalition focused on packaging sustainability education, design guidance, and industry collaboration.
• Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP): A US-based individual-membership professional organization for packaging professionals that awards the Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) designation, which WPO also supports. Highly comparable in mission to WPO's education and certification portfolio, though focused on US professionals.
• INCPEN (Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment): A UK-based non-profit council that promotes packaging as a sustainable, resource-efficient activity. Shares WPO's mission of building the evidence base for sustainable packaging and engaging with policymakers, academia, and industry on circular design.
• SAVE FOOD Initiative: A multi-stakeholder initiative (FAO/UN, Messe Düsseldorf, and partners) addressing global food loss and waste through packaging solutions. WPO directly partners with the SAVE FOOD Initiative on the WorldStar Save Food Packaging Special Award, making it a natural co-federation peer in the food-packaging advocacy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/worldpackaging
• Facebookfacebook.com/wpoorganisation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-packaging-organisation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Packaging Organisation