PIDA 2023: Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year

Up until this project Flavour Makers had been unable to achieve a quality seal consistently on our retort filling lines using anything less than a 100μm CPP sealant layer. However, Toppan's specially developed sealant has allowed them to reduce the thickness of the sealant layer to 80μm. The CPP layer was developed specifically for mono-material applications to maximise the sealing window. This improved sealing performance, along with the calibration of the sealing equipment has allowed them to reduce their CPP usage to 80μm. High barrier, mono-material packaging for retort applications was the final frontier in designing recyclability into flexible packaging. Now that this has been accomplished, it demonstrates to other food manufacturers that solutions can be achieved, even in the most challenging areas of food production.

Renewable Materials

And the winners are...

A High Commendation was awarded to Priestley’s Gourmet Delights Fibre tray insert by Opal . The Bronze winner was Sustainable Fresh Produce Packaging by Detpak and Woolworths Supermarkets , while the Silver winner was Tempguard Gusset for HelloFresh by Sealed Air .

Topping the category with the Gold was Wine Protector by Planet Protector Packaging

About the Gold winner:

The Wine Protector has been developed using Woolpack technology. Made from cross bred sheep waste wool the wool is unsuitable for the textile industry and destined for landfill.

The Wine Protector is a sustainable alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) shippers used to protect bottled wine from temperature and impact damage throughout the supply chain. Until now, there has not been a viable sustainable alternative in the wine packaging sector that delivers the temperature stability required for supply chains, many of which involve export.

The Wine Protector seems simple, but it is underpinned by science. It took more than a year to research and develop the proprietary fibre specifications and blend. Wine integrity can be compromised through impact damage and as little as 40°c for just two hours during transport. Wine can rapidly reach over 50°c when stored inside a car or on a mildly warm day. Such conditions can have a detrimental impact on shelf life, aesthetics and sensory properties of the wine.

The Wine Protector is made of an insulating wool sleeve used to stabilise wine temperatures and impact resistance to cushion and protect the wine in transit. The packaging reduces materials handling costs. 900 units fit on a pallet which means less pallet movements and lower labour costs which translates to a lesser number of shipments and a lower carbon footprint. This is achieved through a compact design along with compressing the Wine Protectors up to 50 per cent of their size and are easy to assemble.

The Wine Protector requires far less storage space thereby improving utility use as well as logistical efficiencies. Wineries and cellar doors are generally space constrained making this a high value-added design feature. The design supports wine growers to transport their temperature-sensitive wines without harming the planet.