FPH UI Receives Siegwerk Indonesia’s Visit: Discusses Safe and Sustainable Packaging

Wednesday, November 17, 2022, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universtas Indonesia (UI) welcomed the arrival of a German multinational company engaged in the food packaging sector, PT. Siegwerk Indonesia. FPH UI was chosen as one of the partners in the “Siegwerk Goes to Campus” event which this time presented the theme “We Drive the Circular and Safe Packaging”. This activity was held offline in the Doctoral Promotion Room of the FPH UI and was attended by students of the FPH UI Undergraduate Program in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). Apart from aiming to provide knowledge and awareness to students, Siegwerk also opens opportunities for students of the Occupational Safety and Health Study Program to undergo internships, as stated by Milla Tejamaya, Ph.D., Head of the FPH UI OHS Undergraduate Study Program.

Present was Deputy Dean for Education, Research and Student Affairs of FPH UI, Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., to give a speech. The event was then taken over by Junior App Technology Manager Siegwerk Indonesia, Irwan Kurniawan as the moderator.

There are 3 (three) main materials presented at this event. The first material was entitled Siegwerk’s Profile as Worldclass Ink and Coating Manufacture Company for Packaging which was delivered by Rahmawaty Dewi, Head of Human Resources Siegwerk Southeast Asia. In his presentation, Rahmawaty introduced Siegwerk Indonesia starting from its urgency, scope, to its current products. Since 1824, this German company has spread to 35 countries and provided jobs to more than 3500 countries. Siegwerk is a company that is committed to maintaining the safety of food packaging, especially the ink used.

Furthermore, Jeffpry Sianturi, Application Technology Siegwerk Indonesia, discussed plastic packaging in Indonesia and how we can transform it from a linear economy to a circular economy. “Through the circular economy, I want to invite friends to be more aware of the plastic packaging they carry. Apart from that, I also hope that friends will no longer be deceived by terms that seem to describe that plastic packaging is better,” said Jeffpry. Biorenewable, biodegradable, and compostable are 3 (three) terms that are often used to describe a product that “goes green”. In his material, Jeffry discussed that this understanding was wrong. According to Jeffry, there are several options for making packaging in accordance with circular economy principles, including making paper a packaging option that can be recycled and has high function; creating the future of reuse models; and supporting the ambition to create packaging that is fully biorenewable.

Siegwerk Indonesia’s Head of Product Safety and Responsibility, Inezia Aurelia and Siegwerk Indonesia’s PSR Specialist, Seno Hardono were the final speakers with the topic “Migration Risk of Printing Inks for Food Packaging”. This material discusses the safety of food packaging, especially how the risk of ink contained in the packaging can transfer to the food we eat. “We support the UN SDG program to protect humans and our environment, one of which is by ensuring the safety of the ink used on food packaging,” said Inezia. One of the ingredients to pay attention to in the ink used in food packaging is Toluene, this is a hazardous material that is still widely used in food products in Asia. This session also discussed regulations related to food packaging safety in Indonesia and the world. (BK)