Who's one step closer to winning a 2019 PIDA award?

Numerous companies and individuals have been announced as finalists for the 2019 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDA), recognising their efforts in the packaging industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Coordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and Packaging New Zealand, the PIDA Awards are the exclusive feeder program for the prestigious WorldStar Packaging Awards. The 2019 PIDA winners will automatically be eligible for entry into the 2020 WorldStar Packaging Awards competition.

Overall, the awards include five categories in design innovation; three special awards for sustainable packaging design, save food packaging design and accessible packaging design; and a number of individual awards.

Design Innovation of the Year

The Design Innovation of the Year company awards will recognise organisations that have designed innovative packaging across a number of categories, including food, beverage, and labelling and decoration.

Judges said they looked for entries that displayed innovative design and thinking, technology and/or material use; benefit to consumers; functional and/or convenient elements; and took into account design and cost elements between standard and premium packaging.

In the beverage category, Moonuka Milk Limited was announced as a finalist for the Milk and Mānuka Honey beverage designed in an old-fashioned Aseptic PET milk bottle with a removable PET shrink sleeve. Other finalists included: PACT Group for the New Zealand brand Lewis Road Creamery PCR 100% recycled PET milk bottle range; Stay tray for its re-usable drink tray that is designed with 100% recycled material; and Shine Drink for its custom tall and thin 400 mL bottle.

OJI Fibre Solutions was listed twice in the food category, once for RJ’s Licorice open top and open front SFP, and again for Turks Poultry Farm to hold 6 kg of chicken in a hand-erected case. Other finalists in the food category are:

• Danone ELN NZ Supply Point for its sachet multipack for Aptamil and Karicare Infant Formula ranges.
• Don KRC, a division of George Weston Foods, for its Just Add Don convenient stand-up pouch.
• Punchbowl Packaging for the Kaituna Blueberries peel-able, resealable, tamper-proof top seal fibre punnets.
• OF Packaging for the Pacific West baking pouch which is oven-safe and houses the seafood product.

Labelling and decoration is a new award category designed to recognise the addition of content to a pack which creates a unique or innovative appearance, function or communication. Finalists are:

• Currie Group for its new transformational printing technology for packaging that showcases high-end printing, finishing, coding, marking and AR technology driving awareness to The Australian Rhino Project (TARP).
• Metalprint Australia for Chobani Australia Spooky Vanilla Ghost Pouch.

Special awards

The Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award covers social, material, source reduction, energy and recovery. Among the 10 finalists are: Detpak for the RecycleME system that provides a sustainable solution for takeaway cups; PACT Group for the New Zealand brand Lewis Road Creamery PCR 100% recycled PET milk bottle range; and Woolworths for replacing plastic trays with pulp-based trays nationally for over 50 of its in-store bakery products.

Detpak's RecycleME system.

Finalists for the Save Food Packaging Design Special Award are:

• Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm & Sealed Air for Cryovac Darfresh on Tray vacuum skin technology which addresses food safety and extends shelf life compared to the previously used modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) format.
• Plantic Technologies for the Plantic RV Material that was designed for Moana seafood company to be able to supply fresh fish to the online meal delivery company ‘My Food Bag’.
• Flavour Creations for its pre-thickened Ready-To-Drink (RTDs) which, when packaged in the new Dysphagia Cup and Cup Holder, are designed to reduce food wastage.

Flavour Creations' pre-thickened Ready-To-Drink product.

Finally, the 2019 Accessible Packaging Design Special Award must include measuring techniques, understanding injuries caused by packaging and consumer satisfaction levels with packaging accessibility. Flavour Creations is featured again, as well as:

• SPC Ardmona for its SPC ProVital Easy-Open Diced Fruit in Jelly range that is designed for all consumers to easily open and has clear on-pack communication.
• Moana New Zealand & Sealed Air (New Zealand) for Cryovac Grip and Tear (including ‘small tab’) which is designed to foster ease of use to packaged meat, poultry, seafood products for processors, food service and retail markets.
• Campbell Arnott’s for its redesign of 10 SKUs from its catering (portion control packaging) range.

The 2019 PIDA awards will also recognise individuals in three areas: Young Packaging Professional of the Year; Industry Packaging Professional of the Year; and Packaging New Zealand Scholarship.

Winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 30 April in Sydney, which will coincide with the 2019 AIP Packaging Technical Forum and the Women in Packaging Breakfast Forum. For more information, click here.

Top image: Metalprint Australia is a finalist in the labelling and decoration category of the Design Innovation of the Year Award for the Chobani Australia Spooky Vanilla Ghost Pouch. Images supplied by AIP.