You got your Emmys. You got your Daytime Emmys. And don't forget about your Tonys. But for folks in the packaging world, there's nothing better than DuPont's annual Awards for Packaging Innovation.
And for 2016, DuPont judges say there's nothing better than Graham Packaging Co.'s ThermaSet brand blow molded PET containers.
As the Diamond Award winner for the annual packaging awards competition, the ThermaSet container is designed for hot-fill, pasteurized food.
But that's not all.
The award-winning container is a “shatter-resistant, easy-to-hold, safe, recyclable container that significantly reduces shipping, breakage and other manufacturing costs for the grand owner,” DuPont reports.
“Judges for the competition were especially impressed with the high thermal stability, 50 percent greater sidewall stability and 25 percent increase in oxygen barrier while achieving both an 89 percent reduction in weight vs. glass and the ability to handle high vacuums required to make the freshness button work on the metal lug cap. The resulting container is shatter-resistant, exhibits high clarity, is easy to handle, and is 100 percent recyclable,” said David Luttenberger, lead judge for the competition, in a video announcing the winner.
“It's a drop-in replacement for glass on the high-temperature fill lines using existing manufacturing assets while retaining the universally preferred metal closure, which indicates freshness,” said Luttenberger, who is global packaging director for Mintel Group Ltd., USA.
New this year, DuPont also gave Diamond finalists awards to six packages:
Daisy Squeeze flexible pouch for Daisy brand sour cream from Aptar Food + Beverage USA.
“With its inverted, wedge-shaped pouch with an innovative flip-top dispensing closure, Daisy Squeeze represents and outstanding accomplishment in packaging innovation across all three award criteria: technological advancement, responsible packaging and enhanced user experience,” DuPont reported.
Lightweight square-shaped edible oil bottle and cap by Adani Wilmar Ltd., India.
“The square-shaped bottle replaces an oval container, making it more environmentally responsible by maximizing cube efficiency and shelf space. The conversion from a round to a lightweight square bottle also reduces production costs by about 60 percent and logistical costs by about 15 percent,” DuPont wrote.
Teabrewer/Coffeebrewer premium whole leaf tea/coffee brewing system from Coffeebrewer Nordic A/S, Denmark.
“The design team developed a form-fill-seal horizontal packaging machine for a stand-up pouch that operates with six different materials and turns paper laminate into the vessel for the products,
Printed coldform for Doril Enxaqueca medicine by Bemis Latin America, Brazil.
“Doril Enxaqueca is the first product to use coldform printed locally in Brazil. With the printed coldform, the entire area of the package, including the formed bubble that accommodates the medicine, can be used for product communication, creating greater exposure for over-the-counter products,” DuPont wrote. “The new package also reduces production time and offers a more competitive price to pharmaceutical manufacturers.”
Method liquid laundry detergent 53-ounce PET post-consumer recycled bottle by Amcor Rigid Plastics.
“This package is made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET and manufactured using renewable energy. Method's 53-ounce sleek, transparent and custom container delvers strong shelf appeal and has broken ground in a market predominately limited to opaque high density polyethylene containers,” DuPont wrote.
Nike Inflatables 2015/2016 packaging redesign by OIA Global, USA.
This packaging made from corrugated fiberboard also was recognized for its “prizm” design that required minimal material and allowed for high product visibility.
DuPont also handed out its Leadership in Innovation Award to MGI's 3-D digital packaging decoration process.
“MGI's digital spot UV and hot foiling technology offers the ability to produce personalized embossed foil and decorative special effects,” DuPont wrote.
“It represents the next-generation of digital packaging decoration at a time when most digital print technologies are focused on general print quality,” DuPont wrote.
DuPont also awarded Gold Awards to the following:
Water-based retortable sauce pack by Pulmuone Co. Ltd., South Korea; SYNEK beer cartridge pouch by Mondi Jackson, USA; Formpack Ultra blister packaging by Amcor Flexibles, Germany; Never Miss a Spot extended wand sunscreen applicator by PHD Skincare, USA: Rust-Oleum SpraySmart marking paint pouch by Printpack, USA.
Silver Awards go to:
Christmas bow label by Coca-Cola, Belgium; next generation spice paste tube by House Foods Group Inc., Japan; Sani-Stak take-out container by Go To Containers, USA; Tetra Rex bio-based renewable chilled carton by Tetra Pack, Italy; and PhutureMed advanced packaging solution for Pharmaceuticals by Palladio Group, Italy.
Transparent DuPont Surlyn Tube by COTY, Brazil; Klearfold Keeper Package for Enigma USB hardware encryption and decryption device by Klearfold, USA; Korrvu Lok – performance packaging for electronic commerce by Sealed Air, USA; and Prestone Stop Leak product line by TricorBraun, USA.