SAVE FOOD and SUSTAINABILITY Design Awards for sustainable packaging solutions

The SAVE FOOD Initiative is a global project to combat food loss and waste. With the annual SAVE FOOD Design Awards and the SUSTAINABILITY Design Award, the organisers honour innovative solutions in the packaging industry that reduce food waste along the value chain and have a positive environmental impact.

This year's SAVE FOOD Initiative award ceremony took place on 18 November 2024 as part of the SAVE FOOD forum held during swop (Shanghai World of Packaging) in China. It provided an inspiring setting very fitting for honouring the winners. At the beginning of December, this was followed by the presentation of the SAVE FOOD DESIGN and SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN AWARD as part of pacprocess MEA 2024 in Cairo.

The jury was made up of experts from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation), the UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) and the WPO (World Packaging Organisation). Criteria such as innovative power, sustainability and practical suitability were decisive for the evaluation of the entries submitted.

The winners of the SUSTAINABILITY Design Award prove that environmental friendliness and economic efficiency can go hand in hand.

Gold Award for UNITED CAPS, Malaysia
UNITED CAPS impressed the jury with an innovative cap solution that not only conserves resources, but also significantly improves the protection and shelf life of food. In the KINDCAP product, conventional polyethylene (PE) has been replaced by a special technical polypropylene (PP).

At just 4.15 grams (99 KINDCAP) and 7.2 grams (127 KINDCAP), KINDCAP is the thinnest and lightest cap on the market, which enables high capping speeds during production – up to 510 per minute for 99 KINDCAP and 320 per minute for 127 KINDCAP. For production, the company relies on carbon-free electricity based on wind energy at all its European sites. The UNITED CAPS team is replacing petroleum-based resins with a renewable alternative, a bio-resin made from wood-based materials. Thanks to innovation in design, energy and materials, UNITED CAPS reduces carbon emissions by up to 72 percent compared to traditional caps.

When asked about the significance of the award for the company, Astrid Hoffmann-Leist, Chief Innovation and Communications Officer/Business Director Asia Pacific UNITED CAPS, explains: "The SAVE FOOD Initiative has boosted our efforts to develop sustainable packaging solutions that are both environmentally and socially relevant. The award confirms that we are heading in the right direction. It motivates us to consistently pursue and expand this course. It also serves as a platform for communicating our goals of innovative power and sustainability even more effectively to the outside world." The manager describes the industry's obligations as follows: "Sustainability is not a choice, but a mandatory obligation. Companies that join the SAVE FOOD Initiative should be prepared to critically review their established processes and develop and implement innovative solutions."

Silver Award for Koch Pac-Systeme, Germany
Koch Pac impressed the jury with a modular packaging solution that minimises material consumption and relies entirely on recyclable materials. The high-quality packaging is characterised by a soft feel and is based on a mouldable fibre material of organic origin. In contrast to conventional packaging, "cycleForm" is not produced by folding or gluing, but is moulded using an innovative thermoforming process. This technology is unique in the paper sector. With cycleForm, it is possible to produce packaging that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

cycleForm does not require any plastic coating or plastic components, which makes the packaging a recyclable and biodegradable mono-material solution. The water-based sealing lacquers used and the environmentally friendly hot-melt adhesive are also beneficial.

"Sustainability has been a high priority for us for decades and is firmly anchored in our corporate philosophy. Reduce – Reuse – Replace: this is the triad that plays a central role in our sustainable packaging machines," says Tanja Dotzauer, Marketing Officer at Koch Pac-Systeme GmbH. "We would like to send the following message to companies and projects that join the SAVE FOOD Initiative: The fight against food waste is a shared responsibility. By becoming part of this initiative, you are actively helping to conserve valuable resources, protect the environment and increase your operational efficiency at the same time."

Bronze Award for UBIS, Spain
UBIS won the Bronze Award with a sustainable coating technology for packaging that improves both the durability and recyclability of packaging materials.

The adhesive tapes from UBIS with ISCC PLUS certification combine innovative technologies with environmentally friendly materials. They are made of BOPP film, 50 percent of which is made from recycled biocircular materials. The origin of this film lies in used cooking oil, which is collected after use and subjected to a special polymerisation process. This approach reduces dependence on fossil fuels and lowers the material's CO₂-footprint considerably. At the end of their service life, UBIS adhesive tapes can be returned to the plastic recycling cycle, where they are recycled either mechanically or chemically.

Andres Rubio from UBIS describes the significance of the award for the company as follows: "All of us in the industry must realise that we need to invest resources in the development of new circular products. We see this award not only as an enormous incentive to continue developing sustainable adhesive tapes, but also as a valuable marketing tool. We will use this recognition in marketing and advertising our products. We are proud of this award and will draw attention to this honour in our catalogues, on the website and on social networks."

The SAVE FOOD Design Award honours packaging solutions that reduce food waste along the value chain.

This year's award goes to Multivac. Multivac is expanding its range with two sustainable labelling solutions for fresh trays: TopWRAP and TopCLOSE. Both concepts dispense with modified atmosphere or vacuum packaging and enable resource-saving packaging.

TopWRAP secures the tray with a label applied on top and both sides without completely enclosing it. In combination with cardboard trays and labels made of paper or renewable raw materials, the result is virtually plastic-free, recyclable packaging. Alternatively, film labels made of polypropylene with a plastic content of less than ten per cent are possible.

TopCLOSE only covers the trays from above. An adhesive-free zone prevents product contact, transparent labels allow the product to be seen, and ventilation holes ensure air circulation. Both solutions offer flexible design options, facilitate recycling and improve storage and ordering processes.

"For many years, the MULITVAC Group has been committed to providing customers with innovative, customised solutions that enable products to be processed and packaged ever more efficiently, reliably and with minimal waste," says Julia Wu, Deputy Managing Director of Multivac. "For us, the awards are a confirmation that we are on the right track. The SAVE FOOD Design Award motivates us to continue driving innovation with our state-of-the-art technology and our decades of experience and expertise."

The SAVE FOOD forum not only served as a stage for the award ceremony, but was also an important industry meeting to promote dialogue on sustainable solutions in the packaging industry. In addition to presenting the award-winning projects, experts discussed trends and challenges in the areas of food loss, packaging technology and sustainability.

At pacprocess MEA in Cairo, the SAVE FOOD Initiative once again honoured companies whose innovative solutions contribute to reducing food waste and protecting the environment. The SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN AWARDS were presented to three exhibitors at a ceremony on 4 December.

Gold Award for MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller, Germany

Multivac's TopWRAP impressed the jury in Egypt as well. The company was honoured with first place in the SUSTAINABILITY Design Awards for the impact of this solution on the circular economy. Jens Heidl, Market Development Manager at Multivac, was delighted: „It is a great honor for us to receive the Sustainability Design Award for our product innovation. The TopWRAP (TM) packaging concept was developed with the aim of offering the fruit and vegetable sector a completely plastic-free, resource-saving and at the same time more energy-efficient packaging solution. The jury's recognition confirms our commitment to continuously developing pioneering new solutions for our customers, for more efficient and sustainable production.“

Silver Award for Theegarten-Pactec, Germany

Theegarten-Pactec was delighted to receive the "Silver Award" in Cairo. The German specialist for packaging solutions has further developed the FPC5, a modular high-performance packaging machine, so that it can now process paper-based packaging materials. In addition to conventional cold sealing, the machine also enables the more complex hot sealing of paper with a paper content of at least 95 percent. Thanks to the minimal amount of sealing and barrier layers, the packaging material is fully recyclable and can be returned to the paper cycle.

„The SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN AWARD demonstrates that we are on the right track when it comes to sustainability. We maintain constant dialogue with packaging material manufacturers to develop fully recyclable and new materials. Our task is to test these innovations on an industrial scale and, if necessary, adapt our machines to make progress toward environmental protection“, comments Steffen Hamelmann, Marketing Manager at Theegarten-Pactec, adding: „Maximum efficiency means minimum reject rates, which in turn means less waste going out into the environment.“

Bronze Award for Filling & Packaging Materials MFG. Co. (FIPCO), Saudi Arabia

The Bronze Award went to FIPCO from Saudi Arabia. As the largest manufacturer of jumbo bags in the Middle East, the company impresses its customers with the highest quality standards and reliable service, which have established it as a leading global supplier. The jumbo bags offer a modern, efficient solution for packaging, storing and transporting bulk goods such as sugar, animal feed, fertilisers, cement, sand or grain.

„FIPCO always invests in sustainability initiatives and clean energy solutions and keeps up with global developments in this regard. Also, we were keen to enhance our capabilities to provide exceptional, competitive, high-quality products in the fields of packaging and technical textiles, as FIPCO has the largest production capacity and most reliable resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding these types of products", says Salah Sabry, Director of Strategic Planning at FIPCO.

With the SAVE FOOD forum, pacprocess MEA 2024 in Cairo not only provided the setting for the award ceremony, but also served as a central platform for dialogue on sustainable solutions in the packaging industry. In addition to honouring the award-winning projects, experts shared valuable insights into trends and challenges in the areas of food loss, packaging technology and sustainability.