Winners of the 2020 PIDA awards announced virtually

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) formally announced the winners of the 2020 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards ‘virtually’ with over 380 people registered for the two days from 6–7 May. The PIDA Awards are an Australia and New Zealand program that is coordinated by the AIP, in conjunction with Packaging New Zealand. All 2020 PIDA winners will be automatically eligible for entry into the 2021 WorldStar Packaging Awards competition.

Food and beverage winners included the following:

2020 Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year Award – Food Category

The winner of the Gold award for the 2020 Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year – Food Category is Planet Protector Packaging for the Lobster Protector.

The Lobster Protector is a flat-packed, recyclable, biodegradable, renewable and compostable solution made from 100% food safe materials. The design consists of three key components: a wool liner, a fibreboard insert and a corrugated carton with a water resistant coating. The packaging is 100% certified food safe and is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.

The winner of the Silver award was a tie between Disruptive Packaging for Uniqcor for cold chain environments and Platypus Print Packaging for the Youfoodz Meal Kit. A Special Commendation was awarded to Primo Foods for the Red Range Slice Pack.

2020 Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year Award – Beverage Category

The winner of the Gold award for the 2020 Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year – Beverage Category was a tie between Coca-Cola Amatil and Ecolean.

Coca-Cola Amatil for its 100% recyclable rPET bottles

Coca-Cola Amatil has converted all of its single-serve PET bottles from largely petroleum-based PET resin to 100% post-consumer recycled PET resin (rPET). By converting all of these SKUs to 100% rPET, seven out of every 10 bottles CCA sells in Australia are made from recycled post-consumer resin. This equates to over 55% of CCA’s total PET tonnages.

Ecolean for the Bannister Downs Dairy WA chilled pasteurised range

This lightweight flexible packaging designed for liquid food products is designed to reduce its impact on the environment with convenience, and innovative and eye-catching packaging. Designed for chilled pasteurised beverages, the packaging performs well in refrigerated and frozen requirements. The material is non-penetrable by UV light and maintains the product’s ‘coolness’ due to the pouch’s natural composition. When kept at or below 4°C, the package is designed to keep milk fresh longer and not leak when laid down on a fridge shelf. It can also be frozen when sealed and microwaved safely once the seal is broken.

The winner of the Silver award is Brownes Dairy for Australia’s first renewable gable top milk carton.

2020 Accessible Packaging Design Special Award

The winner of the Gold Award for the 2020 Accessible Packaging Design Special Category is Ecolean for the Bannister Downs Dairy WA chilled pasteurised range

Ecolean worked with Bannister Downs Dairy to design innovative and lightweight beverage packaging that is certified as easy to open and easy to use by people with reduced hand function.

The Bannister Downs Dairy range has been designed with obvious opening points and the packaging is intuitive to use and open. As the design is shaped like a standard jug, a format well known for containing and pouring liquids, it is intuitive with the ‘tear off’ instructions near the tip of the pack to open the package. The opening tear operates as indicated along the dotted line. The tear-off spout makes the packages easy to open and empty with no need for the use of tools.

The design is also easy to grip, control and manoeuvre with the ‘Firm’ grip air-filled handle offering stability to hold the package regardless of whether the person is left- or right-handed. Ecolean has considered the sustainable packaging design principles and chosen a lightweight flexible package, and the packaging is accepted through the REDcycle recycling program.

2020 Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award – Retail Pack

The winner of the Gold Award for the 2020 Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year category – Retail Pack is Coca-Cola Amatil for the 100% recyclable post-consumer recycled rPET bottles.

2020 Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award – Product Protection

The winner of the Gold Award for the 2020 Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year - Product Protection category was a tie between Opal Packaging Australia (Formerly ORORA Fibre Packaging) for the recyclable moulded paper inserts and Sealed Air Brand Protective Packaging for the TempGuard kerbside recyclable packaging for pre-packaged, temperature sensitive goods.

Opal Packaging Australia (Formerly ORORA Fibre Packaging) for the recyclable moulded paper inserts

The Opal Packaging Australia (Formerly ORORA Fibre Packaging) inserts provide protection and presentation for fresh produce inside the carton and offer a recyclable alternative to standard, non-recyclable PVC plastic inserts. The recyclable moulded paper inserts are made from responsibly sourced fibre and can be customised with specific colours and branding for a range of products. The individually moulded trays provide shock and vibration protection (no ringing on fruit) and offer ventilation and moisture control characteristics to ensure fresh produce integrity.

Sealed Air Brand Protective Packaging for the TempGuard kerbside recyclable packaging for pre-packaged, temperature sensitive goods

Sealed Air’s TempGuard is a kerbside recyclable and ARL-compliant paper pouch liner made from virgin Kraft paper and is filled with 100% recycled paper. It is used to line cartons that are used for distribution to deliver thermal insulation for chilled items including chilled meals, pharmaceuticals and chocolate. TempGuard is fully recyclable through PREP with on-pack communication providing clear information to consumers about what to do with the product at the end of life.

2020 Young Packaging Professional of the Year Award

The winner of the 2020 Young Packaging Professional of the Year Award is Kelly Wade, Scientist, Scion in New Zealand.

Wade is responsible for managing and operating Scion’s WHITE room — a facility designed to replicate the effects of humidity and temperature on boxes under stress in the chilled distribution chain. Knowing the conditions under which packaging is likely to fail allows manufacturers of packaging materials and packaging to design materials fit for purpose. He is working with leading global box companies and exporters to make sure their products reach the market in perfect condition.