The Packaging Innovation & Design Awards finalists revealed

Finalists for the 2023 round of the annual Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards have been announced, with a number of innovations recognised across 11 categories.

Coordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA awards are designed to recognise companies making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand.

The Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year company awards recognise organisations that have designed innovative packaging within six categories:

1. Food Packaging Design of the Year
2. Beverage Packaging Design of the Year
3. Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year
4. Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year
5. Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year
6. Outside of the Box Design of the Year

There are five special awards also available:

1. Marketing Design of the Year
2. Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year
3. Industry Packaging Professional of the Year
4. Young Packaging Professional of the Year
5. ABA Scholarships

The PIDA Awards are the exclusive feeder program for Australia and New Zealand for the prestigious WorldStar Packaging Awards run by the World Packaging Organisation. All 2023 PIDA winners will be eligible for entry into the 2024 WorldStar Packaging Awards.

2023 Food Packaging Design of the Year

The Food Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, within food packaging and processing including fresh, frozen or other.

Finalists are Australian Organic Food Co. Minestrone Soup mono material retort pouch (Flavour Makers & Toppan), BioShield (Caps & Closures), DualPakECO compostable food trays (Confoil & BASF), EarthPouch High Barrier Quad-Seal (Mikro Coffee Roasters & TCL Hofmann), Priestley’s Gourmet Delights Fibre tray insert (Opal), JBS Swift Lamb Cutlets CRYOVAC Darfesh Mono-PET rollstock (Sealed Air), Jindurra Station 2 Star beef mince in Flotite non-shrink (Aldi, Bindaree Food Group & Amcor Flexibles), Majans Desi snack pouch with dual tear notch and laser score (O F Packaging/Close the Loop Group) and Vitor Grapes ‘hippie punnet’ (NAVI Co Global).

2023 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year

The Beverage Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, within packaging and processing for liquid or dry tea, coffee, water and soft drinks including wine, beer and spirits.

Finalists are Australia’s first 100% recycled flavoured milk bottles (Brownes Dairy), Banrock Station Eco Bottle (Accolade Wines), 400 ml Still Spring Water (Wallaby), Oysterlean (Caps & Closures), Penley Sustainability Range (Cutler Brands) and Wine Protector (Planet Protector Packaging).

2023 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year

The Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, within cosmetics; toiletries; personal hygiene; supplements; vitamins; perfumes; hair, body and oral care. This award also covers packaging of all medicines including over-the-counter medicines and medical equipment packaging.

Finalists are BioShield (Caps & Closures), Habitat Shipper Box (Production Packaging Innovations), Koi foaming handwash refillable starter kit and refill tablets (Coles Group) and Oysterlean (Caps & Closures).

2023 Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year

The Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, packaging within domestic and household items, toys, stationary, gifts, clothing, garden equipment, decorating.

Finalists are 10:PM Mattress Box (Production Packaging Innovations), BioShield (Caps & Closures), Easy Pour (DuluxGroup – British Paints) and The Dirt Co Circular Refill Pouch Packaging (O F Packaging/Close the Loop Group).

2023 Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year

The Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year award is designed to recognise the addition of content to a pack which creates a unique or innovative appearance, function or communication. This may include labels, sleeves, tags, coding/markings, etching, directly applied inks or by any other similar process.

Finalists are Christmas BioCups (OzHarvest & BioPak), Herma InNo Liner Labelling (Result Group & Hanes Australasia) and The Good Smoothie Milk Powder Composite Pack (Nutura Organic & Zipform Packaging).

2023 Outside of the Box Design of the Year

The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award has been established for miscellaneous packs and materials that are not included in any other category.

Finalists are Coola Box (Oji Fibre Solutions NZ), Future Ecology – EmGuard (Oji Fibre Solutions NZ), Snell Packaging – Mattress Corner Protector (Oji Fibre Solutions NZ) and EcoSpacer dunnage solution (Oji Fibre Solutions NZ).

2023 Marketing Design of the Year Award

Packaging can elicit emotional responses in consumers and should be seen as your best form of marketing. The right packaging design and eye-catching aesthetics can create emotional stimuli that ensure a brand is purchased. The Marketing Design of the Year award considers not only primary packaging but also secondary and tertiary packaging designs.

Finalists are Dulux Jellybean Promotion Pack (Dulux Australia), Keen’s Meal Bases (BrandOpus (Australia) & McCormick Foods Australia), Sara Lee Deluxe (BrandOpus (Australia) & Sara Lee Holdings and Sustain OzHarvest Cups (Bunzl Australia and New Zealand).

2023 Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year

The Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year award is designed to recognise companies that have developed innovative packaging or processing solutions that incorporate sustainability considerations. Elements include Social, Material, Source Reduction, Energy and Recovery.

Finalists are Aqueous BioCups (BioPak), Australian Organic Food Co. Minestrone Soup mono material retort pouch (Flavour Makers), Banrock Station Eco Bottle (Accolade Wines), Coles Finest Carbon Neutral Steak Vacuum Packaging (Coles Group & Plantic Technologies), DualPakECO compostable food trays (Confoil & BASF), Dulux 50% rPP Paint and Lid (Pact Group & Dulux Group), EarthPouch High Barrier Quad Seal (Mikro Coffee Roasters & TCL Hofmann), Priestley’s Gourmet Delights Fibre tray insert (Opal), Herma InNo Liner Labelling (Result Group & Hanes Australasia), JBS Swift Lamb Cutlets CRYOVAC Darfesh Mono-PET rollstock (Sealed Air), RafCycle by UPM Raflatac, Store Operations Fruit & Vegetable PE film (Woolworths Group Ltd), Sustainable Fresh Produce Packaging (Detpak & Woolworths Supermarkets), Tempguard Gusset for HelloFresh (Sealed Air), The Juice Brothers (Bega Dairy & Drinks) and Wine Protector (Planet Protector Packaging).

2023 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year

The 2023 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the packaging industry in Australia and New Zealand. The judges look for individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership, show innovation and are not afraid to take risks. This award is for significant and continued contribution of an individual to the industry over a minimum period of 20 years.

Finalists are Anhely Millán MAIP, Founder, Sustainability for Kids and Michael Dossor MAIP, Managing Director, Result Group.

2023 Young Packaging Professional of the Year

The purpose of the Young Packaging Professional of the Year award is to provide incentive and recognition to young professionals who are both currently working in and wish to continue their career path within the packaging industry in both Australia and New Zealand. This can be within any industries such as food, beverage, health, beauty and wellness, domestic and household.

Finalists are Fredie More Pablo, Operations Project Manager, Pact Group; Huzaifa Mohsinally, Packaging Manager, Goodman Fielder NZ; Lars M Ljung, Sustainability Manager, Planet Protector Packaging; Pippa Corry MAIP, Founder, Philo and Co; and Sarish Shashidhar, Industrial Designer, BioPak.

2023 ABA Scholarships

The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), in partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), offers an annual scholarship program for Australia and New Zealand.

The scholarship program will give one candidate the opportunity to undertake a Diploma in Packaging Technology and a second person the opportunity to undertake a Certificate in Packaging.

Finalists are Jessica Ansell AAIP, Marketing Manager, Close the Loop Group; Tony Crowther MAIP, Packaging Development Technologist, Lion Co; and Shannon Lee, Associate Packaging Technologist, The Arnott’s Group.

Winners will be announced at the PIDA awards ceremony, the first to be held in person since before the pandemic. It will take place on 28 March at the Crown Promenade in Melbourne, alongside the AIP Conference.

Bookings for the PIDA awards can be accessed here: http://aipack.com.au/event-registration/?ee=386.