STAFF PROFILE
Associate Professor Karli Verghese
Karli is a Principal Research Fellow in the Industrial Design program of the School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne.
Associate Professor Karli Verghese is a Principal Research Fellow in the Industrial Design program of the School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne. Her research projects have included the development of decision support tools for packaging, resource efficiency, food waste, Eco-design and one developed for Australia's Antarctic research station (Casey). Research themes include the role of packaging, packaging sustainability, food loss/waste across supply chains, resource efficiency, waste management, and life cycle assessment. She was also the inaugural REDUCE Program Leader in the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre from 2018-2023.
Projects
Examples of research projects include the following:
Consumer perceptions of the role of packaging in reducing food waste:This project investigated understanding consumer perceptions of the role of packaging in reducing food waste.
DIRECT commercialisation:The development of a business-ready, digital, cloud-based food waste tool that can assist industry to reduce food loss and waste. Businesses can self-assess their food waste practices through the development of the online Dynamic Industry Resource Efficiency Calculation Tool (DIRECT). They can use the data to identify opportunities to reduce food loss and waste and the costs associated with it.
Save food packaging criteria and framework: This project will produce packaging design criteria and communication material that will lead to better packaging design, material selection and format selection using appropriate portioning, sealability, resealability features, date labelling, extend shelf life and provide the information required to assist retail, food service and consumers to minimise food waste.
The opportunities for Australia’s packaging and processing machinery sector to tackle food waste: The aim of this project was to consolidate the ways that Australian packaging and processing machinery can reduce and/or transform food waste and to provide equipment manufacturers with improved knowledge and understanding of the food waste challenges.
The role of packaging for Australian fresh produce
Food waste opportunities in the wholesale and retail sectors: this research provided NSW Environment Protection Authority with a better understanding of the opportunities and barriers to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill from the wholesale and retail sectors.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the last frontier: quantifying the environmental impacts and environmental impact reduction strategy for Australia’s Antarctic infrastructure. This project involves working with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to collect and model life cycle impacts from the operations necessary to support human operations on Casey station.
Food supply chain resource efficiency and 'true cost of waste': teaming up with Visy, a global packaging and recycling company and volunteer customers, this project used RMIT's Dynamic Industry Resource Efficiency Calculation Tool (DIRECT) to record and measure resource flows from harvest to retail.
Review of emerging packaging technologies and trends for red meat:
Food waste reduction opportunities in the food manufacturing sector: this project involved working with the Plenty Food Group to develop a true cost of waste calculation tool called Dynamic Industry Resource Efficiency Calculation Tool (DIRECT).
Food waste insights in the home: working with Banyule City Council, this project involved understanding how households plan, purchase, store, prepare and dispose of food.
Role of packaging in minimising food waste in the supply chain: increased efficiency and waste reduction in the food supply chain can contribute to the global growth in population and demand for food. This report focused on packaging opportunities that may help to reduce or recover food waste.
The Future of Packaging White Paper: working in conjunction with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) this white paper considered past, current and future issues within a sustainability framework.
Life cycle flows of materials and energy at Scott Base Antarctica: working with Antarctic New Zealand this project used streamlined life cycle assessment to model and analyse material and energy flows to support New Zealand’s Scott base in Antarctica.
Greenfly: was developed with Industrial Designers and helps you design environmentally improved products. It corporates life cycle modelling and EcoDesign strategies showing the environmental impacts of your design choices through strong graphical representation.
PIQET: developed in conjunction with packaging technologists and environmental/sustainability managers, the Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool (PIQET) incorporates life cycle modelling of different packaging formats. RMIT University was involved in its development, leading the research project which started in 2004. PIQET was commercialised in 2009 and RMIT was involved in research, development and support of the tool until 2014.
Australian Packaging Covenant Sustainable Packaging Guidelines: working with the Australian Packaging Covenant Council, this project involved working with 8 APC signatories and documenting how they were using the Sustainable packaging Guidelines in their operations.
- BAppScEnvMan (Haz Materials)
- BSc (Hons)
- PhD
- FAIP - Fellow of the Australian Institute of Packaging
- Brennan, L.,Francis, C.,Schivinski, B.,Jackson, M.,Parker, L.,Langley, S.,Lockrey, S.,Verghese, K.,Phan, T.,Hill, A.,Ryder, M. (2023). Consumer Perceptions of Food Packaging in Its Role in Fighting Food Waste In: Sustainability, 15, 1 - 16
- Brennan, L.,Parker, L.,Schivinski, B.,Jackson, M.,Pochun, T.,Florence, E.,Langley, S.,Hill, A.,Ryder, M.,Lockrey, S.,Verghese, K.,Francis, C.,Sherman, A.,Phan, T.,Chorazy, E. (2023). Consumer perceptions of the role of packaging in reducing food waste: Final Project Report In: Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre Adelaide, Australia
- Brennan, L.,Parker, L.,Hill, A.,Lockrey, S.,Ryder, M.,Verghese, K.,Langley, S.,Francis, C.,Phan, T. (2022). Focus Group Concept Testing of Packaging Solutions: Topline Report In: Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre Adelaide, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,Fennessy, L.,Richardson, M.,Rajaratnam, T.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K.,Edmunds, T.,Maltby, E.,Laureysens, I.,Couwenberg, P.,Dalla Vecchia, D.,Vangrinsven, J. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Melbourne, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,et al, .,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – eco design In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,et al, .,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – cross-cutting levers In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, ACT
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,et al, .,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – textiles In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,Fennessy, L.,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – buildings In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,et al, .,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – plastics In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, Australia
- Lockrey, S.,Millicer, H.,Collins, R.,et al, .,Richardson, M.,Hill, A.,Wesselius, H.,Ryder, M.,Anich, J.,Verghese, K. (2022). Enabling design for environmental good – sub report – electronic goods In: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Canberra, Australia
4 PhD Completions and 1 Masters by Research Completions4 PhD Current Supervisions
- Artificial Intelligence in food system redesign – Designing for the benefit of the whole (Student: Stephanie Camarena). Funded by: Food Agility CRC from (2018 to 2022)
- Fight Food Waste CRC - Core Participants Agreement (Umbrella Agreement). Funded by: Fight Food Waste CRC from (2018 to 2028)
- Review of emerging packaging technologies and trends for red meat. Funded by: Meat and Livestock Australia Grant 2014 from (2014 to 2014)
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the last frontier: quantifying the environmental impacts and environmental impact reduction strategy for Australia's Antarctic infrastructure. Funded by: Australian Antarctic Division Grants pre-2014 from (2013 to 2018)
- Extended environmental benefits of recycling (EEBR) study. Funded by: Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) Grant pre-2014 from (2008 to 2009)