Award-winning packaging

The packaging industry is meeting the needs of consumers, particularly in the areas of digitisation, sustainability and convenience. What is more, some innovative products have convinced not only customers, but also international expert juries. Over the last few months this was reflected in several awards for innovative product developments. They included, in particular, awards for highly environment-friendly materials, eye catchers and augmented reality applications.

One of the winning products was a rather extraordinary drinking glass. Instead of losing all sense of reality, the consumer can enjoy some augmented reality through the presentation of digital content, i.e. videos, photos and animations which are projected from the glass into the environment after scanning in a logo. Anyone wanting to enjoy this awareness-enhancing drinking vessel simply needs the actual glass, a smartphone and an app. Next, after downloading the app, the user simply scans in a logo on the specially designed AR glass – and virtual reality and the real world merge into one. The display shows various interactive scenes in real time – a feature which impressed the decision-makers of the 2018 Promotional Gift Award so much that they gave it a prize.

Sustainability and luxury don’t have to be mutually exclusive. This was proved by the Luxe Pack in Green Award, which went to the Skincare 2.0 gift box from Metsä Board. This latest product among the company’s many innovative packaging solutions relies entirely on fibre-based materials to replace plastic. It is based on a special and so far unprecedented new pulp moulding process which has numerous benefits for the environment. Moreover, the material ensures maximum performance on automated packaging lines.

Drops of water that taste great

The drops have been checked by packaging experts from every possible angle – experts on design, textured packaging, branding and consumer products. The specialists eventually concluded that the Sustainable Packaging Award should go to a microdrink. The mini cubes come in a variety of flavours, transforming tap water into sweet or fruity drinks. Not much material, but lots of taste – and very handy to carry around.

The sealed paper packaging from Bosch Packaging Technology GmbH unites three benefits for dry food (such as sugar, cereal and flour). It has a dust-proof seal and is totally reusable. The packaged food therefore keeps for long periods of time. The reason why this packaging was considered to be so sustainable was partly its recyclability, but partly also its benefits in combating food waste. After all, the right kind of packaging helps to protect the content and can prevent unnecessary loss. This is also the aim of Messe Düsseldorf in its SAVE FOOD initiative, a joint venture with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that is supported by a wide range of players in industry, society and politics.

The packaging solution involves the use of  BillerudKorsnäs mono material paper Axello® and the ZAP module from Bosch Packaging Technology. It runs on vertical tubular bag machines and mandrel machines, and it was awarded first prize in the Technology category of the 2017 Sustainability Award.