DuPont Packaging Awards 2016

The results are in: Blow-molded PET container beats Coca Cola Christmas Bow label & Tetra Pak’s Tetra Rex

By Jenny Eagle

- Last updated on GMT

ThermaSet Blow Molded PET container.
ThermaSet Blow Molded PET container.
Graham Packaging has beaten Coca Cola’s Christmas Bow label and Tetra Pak’s Tetra Rex bio-based carton to take Diamond place in this year’s DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.

The company - based in Pennsylvania, US - has won the award for its ThermaSet Blow-molded PET container for hot-fill, pasteurized food. 

Lightweight, eco-friendly PET jars

PIP_2016_Digital_Package_Decoration_Process_Full
MGI 3D Digital Package Decoration Process (MGI, USA).

It believes its patented technology is a sign of what’s to come for packaging, claiming its shatter-resistant, lightweight and eco-friendly PET jars are a drop-in replacement to glass in hot fill and hold, pasteurized and retort applications.

It says ThermoSet is easy-to-hold, recyclable and reduces shipping, breakage and other manufacturing costs for the brand owner.

This year’s DuPont Awards saw nearly 200 entries from more than 25 countries. In addition to the Diamond and Diamond finalists there were five gold winners and nine silver winners.

The international competition honors innovations in packaging design, materials, technology and processes and recognizes companies that have responded to worldwide demand for improvements in customer product experiences and sustainability, and incorporated simpler messaging and cost-efficient production technologies.

We are inspired by the breadth of advances, including interactive user experiences, clean labeling, advances in safety and sustainability, and expanded manufacturing options and lower production costs, especially with digital printing​,” said Dale Outhous, VP, DuPont Ethylene Copolymers.

Coca Cola Belgium

Lead judge David Luttenberger, CPP, global packaging director, Mintel Group, said it was seeing a real demand from consumers for on-pack communication that is authentic, not overwhelming.

Christmas Bow Label (Coca Cola, Belgium)

The judges awarded a Leadership in Innovation Award to MGI, in Melbourne, Florida, for its digital spot UV and hot foiling technology for next-generation digital package decoration, with advancements in customization, personalization and cost-effectiveness. 

Other winners include Coca Cola Belgium, which took Silver for its Christmas Bow limited-edition label. This is split into three sections, allowing consumers to pull the middle part away from the bottle while the other two sections stay put.

Once removed, a lever -  which runs through the middle section of the label - becomes visible. If you pull on this, the label opens up into three parts to form four loops before the whole thing is then pulled taut against the side of the bottle, leaving a Christmas bow similar to ones used to decorate a wrapped present.

DuPont Packaging Innovation Winners 2016

Diamond winner

  • ThermaSet Blow-molded PET Container for hot fill, pasteurized food (Graham Packaging, USA)

Diamond finalists

  • Daisy Squeeze-Flexible Squeeze Pouch for Daisy brand sour cream (Aptar Food + Beverage, USA)
  • Lightweight 18.0 g & 12.0 g Square-Shaped Edible Oil Bottle & 1 g Cap (Adani Wilmar, Ltd., India)
  • TeaBrewer/CoffeeBrewer - premium whole leaf tea/coffee brewing system (Coffeebrewer Nordic A/S, Denmark)
  • Printed Coldform for Doril Enxaqueca medicine (Bemis Latin America, Brazil)
  • Method Liquid Laundry Detergent 53-ounce PET post-consumer recycled bottle (Amcor rigid Plastics, USA)
  • NIKE Inflatables 2015/2016 Packaging Redesign (OIA Global, USA)​ 

Leadership in innovation award

The Judges

  • Ramon Agustines, GM, Flexible Packaging Division, Universal Robina Corp. Philippines
  • Suzanne Fisher, senior manager, Supply Chain Packaging, Amazon, USA
  • Sanjay Ghoshal, senior director/global head, Packaging, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, India
  • Marianne Rosner Klimchuk, associate chairperson, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA
  • David Luttenberger, CPP – Global Packaging Director, Mintel Group, USA
  • Brian Rivers, engineering fellow, Strategic Sourcing, Sealed Air Corporation, USA
  • Jeff Schuetz, staff VP, Global Technology Consumer Packaging, Sonoco, USA
  • Colin Yates, global petcare packaging sustainability director, Mars, Germany
  • Eduardo Yugue, R&D packaging manager, Pepsico, Brazil
  • MGI 3D Digital Package Decoration Process (MGI, USA)

Gold winners

  • Water-Based Retortable Sauce Pack (Pulmuone Co., Ltd., Korea)
  • SYNEK Beer Cartridge Pouch (Mondi Jackson, USA)
  • Formpack Ultra blister packaging (Amcor Flexibles, Germany)
  • Never Miss a Spot Technology, extended wand sunscreen applicator (PHD Skincare, USA)
  • Rust-Oleum SpraySmart Marking Paint Pouch (Printpack, USA)

 Silver winners

  • Christmas Bow Label (Coca Cola, Belgium)
  • Next Generation Spice Paste Tube (House Foods Group Inc., Japan)
  • Sani-Stak Take-Out Container (Go To Containers, USA)
  • Tetra Rex Bio-Based Fully Renewable Chilled Carton (TetraPak, Italy)
  • PhutureMed – Advanced Packaging Solution for Pharmaceuticals (Palladio Group, Italy)
  • Transparent DuPont Surlyn Tube (COTY, Brazil)
  • Klearfold Keeper Package - Enigma USB Hardware Encryption & Decryption Device (HLP Klearfold, USA)
  • Korrvu Lok – Performance Packaging for eCommerce (Sealed Air, USA)
  • Prestone Stop Leak Product Line (TricorBraun, USA)

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