Insight: Matt Watts, litho business manager, CRP Print & Packaging

What is a career in packaging like?
As an insider, you realise all the hard work that has gone into the design, production and delivery of products you see when you’re walking through a supermarket. We should do more to attract young talent to consider packaging as a career opportunity as it is very rewarding.

What challenges and opportunities face UK packaging?
As an industry, we have got to acknowledge our customers and those businesses that we are targeting are operating in a highly competitive UK market and a challenging world economy. We need to listen to what they want and ensure we focus on their needs. Brands are having to work harder on shelf and one of the big things we are working on is the promotional role of packaging in making a difference to attract shoppers.

What about the public’s view of packaging?
I think there’s a PR job that needs to be done in terms of the environmental image of packaging. People use the term packaging to encompass different types of packaging. Corrugated packaging has a high recycled content and is recyclable which makes it very green. I often use the phrase cradle-to-cradle and, in that respect, corrugated that is disposed of correctly can come back to life.

What do you do to relax?
I recently got married and we have two springer spaniels so I’ve got no excuses with regards to going out walking. I’m a season ticket holder at Derby County, and have also got a shotgun licence, so I can be found on a Sunday morning shooting at clay pigeons.

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