| The Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging was inaugurated in February 1975 with the assistance of the Export Promotion Secretariat. The formation of this Institute was a result of a mission carried out in March 1974 by the ITC Functional Adviser on Export Packaging, Mr. Johan Selin.
The institute of Packaging is an association of Private and Public Sector enterprises and is considered to be the first of its kind in a developing country. The Membership of the Institute consists of Corporate Members, Corporate Life Members and Associate Members. The first two categories are open for public and private organizations and only their representatives have the right to vote at the Institute's Meetings. Any person employed in the packaging industry is eligible for associate membership, but they do not have the right to vote at the Institute's Meetings. According to the latest statistics there are 147 Corporate Members, 15 Corporate Life Members and 4 Associate Members in the Institute's Membership Register.
It was during Mr. Chulika de Silva's Presidency that the first ever Packaging Exhibition – Lankapak '81 was organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging in Colombo . This Packaging Exhibition has now become a very popular biennial feature and a total of
11 such exhibitions have been held from 1981 to 2002. In year 2004 & 2005 the Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging and the Sri Lanka Food Processors Association organised exhibitions named PROFOOD/PROPACK
During Mr. Razeek Zarook's tenure of Presidency the first ever Asian Packaging Federation Congress was held in 1987 in Colombo with a large number of participants from Sri Lanka and other Asian countries. In conjunction with this Congress a highly successful international packaging exhibition, Expopak '87 was held at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi.
APF Congress was held for the 2nd time in 1992, during Mr. Ananda Munasinghe's tenure of Presidency and for the 3rd time, in the year 2000 Mr. Dharmatilake Ratnayake's tenure of Presidency.
Since 1987, the Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging has been holding Lanka Star contests biennially with the assistance of the National Packaging Centre and
each year 50 to 60 entries win Lanka Star Awards. A fair number of Lanka Star winners have won Asia Star Awards at the annual Asia Star contest organized by the Asian Packaging Federation. Some of these Sri Lankan, Asia Star award winners have received the distinction in winning the prestigious World Star Awards at World Star contests held annually by the World Packaging Organization. |
