2026 AUSTRALASIAN PACKAGING INNOVATION & DESIGN (PIDA) AWARDS Tuesday 28 July 2026 Crown Aviary, Crown Complex Melbourne Victoria, Australia Alongside FoodPro
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards Winners for the 2026 round of the annual Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards have been announced at a gala awards evening that was held in front of 320 people on the 28th of July at The Aviary, on the rooftop of the Crown Complex in Melbourne, Victoria. The 2026 PIDA Awards coincided with foodpro. Coordinated by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA awards are designed to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand. The 2026 Finalists come from the following PIDA categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Food Packaging Design Beverage Packaging Design Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Domestic & Household Packaging Labelling & Decoration
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
6. Outside of the Box 7. Marketing 8. Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design 9. Save Food Packaging Design 10. Sustainable Packaging Design 11. Young Packaging Professional of the Year 12. Industry Packaging Professional of the Year 13. Packaging Technologist of the Year 14. 2026 ABA Scholarship Program – Diploma in Packaging Technology & Certificate in Packaging 15. AIP President Scholarship The PIDA Awards are also the exclusive feeder program for Australia and New Zealand for the prestigious WorldStar Packaging Awards run by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). All 2026 PIDA winners will be automatically eligible for entry into the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards competition.
See the FULL PHOTO GALLERY here
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2026 PIDA Wrap up
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Congratulations to the AIP for once again delivering an outstanding PIDA Awards program and continually setting a high standard for the industry. It was wonderful to be there with the team, celebrate the achievements, and engage in such valuable conversations throughout the event. We sincerely appreciate all the hard work behind the scenes that makes the awards such a success. 2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
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2026 PIDA Wrap up
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Food Packaging Design of the Year The Food Packaging Design of the year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or
materials, within food packaging and processing including fresh, frozen or other. This is a WorldStar General Award Category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Food Packaging Design of the Year GOLD winner is Primo Sliced Meats Peel & Reseal Pack: Primo Foods & Amcor Flexibles.
FOOD PACKAGING
GOLD WINNER
The Primo Sliced Meats & Reseal Pack was a collaboration between Primo Foods and Amcor Flexibles Australia New Zealand and was designed to meet a consumer need for more functional packaging. Primo Foods iconic sliced meats range has transitioned from a standard peel top film
to a peel and reseal top film, designed with consumers in mind. The new pack is easy to open, resealable, offers a 10% reduction in plastic and now uses recycle ready mono material PET for the bottom film.
Watch the FOOD PACKAGING DESIGN winning video here.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner There was tie for the 2026 Food Packaging Design of the Year SILVER award. FOOD PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER
The first silver winner is Arctic Shield EPS Replacement: Opal ANZ.
The second silver winner is RePlay Returnables: Bonson Packaging.
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2026 PIDA Wrap up
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Bronze Winner The 2026 Food Packaging Design of the Year BRONZE winner is Honey Squeeze Pack: Caps & Closures. FOOD PACKAGING
BRONZE WINNER
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
The recognition means a lot and especially for the team that was the driving force behind this, never giving up when it got particularly challenging. It was fantastic to share the news today with the team, it has been a long Journey to develop this format and good to be able to recognise this new save food packaging.
Caption.
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2026 PIDA Wrap up
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year The Beverage Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, within packaging and processing
for liquid or dry tea, coffee, water and soft drinks including wine, beer and spirits. This is a WorldStar General Award Category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year GOLD winner is Asahi Carlton Dry 6x330ml Bottle Shrink Replacement Wrap: Graphic Packaging International & Asahi Beverages.
BEVERAGE PACKAGING
GOLD WINNER
The new pack moves away from the original six‑pack beer format wrapped in plastic shrink, reducing single use plastic and transitioning to kerbside recyclable fibre-based packaging. The rigid walls provide strong physical protection by absorbing shocks and preventing crushing during transport and the design is consumer‑friendly, offering easy carrying & stacking. The locking tab‑and‑slot design eliminates the need for glue and significantly improves packing efficiency. The Fibreboard Wrap fits tightly around the bottles, enhancing security and overall pack strength.
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Tab insertions create stable partitions that hold the bottoms of the bottles firmly in place. In addition, features such as easy‑access openings and finger holes for carrying ensure a user‑friendly experience, making the packaging both practical and convenient. Exposing the neck of the bottle shows the consumer the quality of the product and superior branding is also achieved through 360‑degree, high‑quality, full‑colour printing that enhances marketing impact.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner
BEVERAGE PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER The 2026 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year SILVER winner is 600ml Spring Water: Woolworths.
Bronze Winner
BEVERAGE PACKAGING
BRONZE WINNER The 2026 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year BRONZE winner is capR: Interpack.
Watch the BEVERAGE PACKAGING DESIGN winning video here.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
There is a reason the AIP continues to go from strength to strength each year. Thank you for always making us feel so welcome and for hosting us with such warmth and generosity♥.
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WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year The Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, within cosmetics, toiletries, personal hygiene, supplements, vitamins, perfumes, hair
body and oral care. This award also covers packaging of all medicines including over the counter medicines and medical equipment packaging. This is a WorldStar General Award Category.
Gold Winner
HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS
GOLD WINNER The 2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year award GOLD winner is Mono material HDPE tube & cap range: Impact International. This innovative Australian manufactured mono material range replaces the difficult to recycle tube and cap, which are traditionally made of PE and PP. By replacing the PP resin in the flip top cap, Impact International can now offer a tube and flip top cap made using HDPE resins that is designed for the consumer to dispose of both the tube and the cap as one single item, at disposal. The new tube and cap range has been designed to end up in the HDPE recycling stream.
The tube is also manufactured using HDPE PCR resin, which is also made in Australia. The tube can contain between 30%-50% PCR recycled content, depending on the tube length required. The Australian made PCR HDPE material is located in the non-contact layer of the tube wall. This makes it easier for brand owners to incorporate the use of PCR HDPE in their tube packaging as there is no direct contact with PCR materials.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner
HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS
SILVER WINNER The 2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the year SILVER winner is Libra Range Outer Packaging with 50% PCR LDPE: ProAmpac New Zealand.
Bronze Winner
HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS
BRONZE WINNER The 2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year BRONZE winner is Esmi Cleanser Butter Balm. Watch the HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS PACKAGING DESIGN winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year The Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials, packaging
within domestic and household items, toys, stationery, gifts, clothing, garden equipment and decorating. This is a WorldStar Packaging General award category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year GOLD winner is Click & Grow Garden Care System: Yates Group.
DOMESTIC & HOUSEHOLD
GOLD WINNER
Existing Do-it-yourself Garden care sprayers are either disposable and messy, or reusable but difficult to control. Users often handle chemicals directly, risking exposure and spills. The challenge was to create an intuitive, leakproof sprayer that seamlessly connects to standard hoses, while offering controlled chemical dilution. The new design needed to accommodate pre-mixed pouches ranging from 500ml to 1L and ensure easy operation with minimal instruction. Click & Grow features a uniquely engineered venturi system that draws liquid from premixed pouches into the water stream, with an intuitive dial to control mixture ratios. A thumb-activated shut-off valve enhances
safety and control, while multiple spray settings accommodate different garden care needs. Designed for durability, the handset is made from UV-stabilised polymers to withstand outdoor conditions. It eliminates direct chemical handling, preventing spills and exposure. The collar of the pouch has been modified to be filled on a standard pouch filler, whilst being able to incorporate the patented Pick Up Assembly (PUA) closure mechanism. The PUA is a wedge fit design with a series of internal valves and O-rings to ensure that the pouch only opens when clicked into the handset with the sprayer. This ensures that the pack format is truly contactless. Once the handset has been purchased, there are a range of 8 refill pouches. 2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner
DOMESTIC & HOUSEHOLD
SILVER WINNER The 2026 Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year SILVER winner is Tahwalhi Towable Bodyboard: Rebel Sports Australia.
Watch the DOMESTIC & HOUSEHOLD DESIGN winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year The Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year award is designed to recognise the addition of content to a pack which creates a unique or innovative appearance, function or communication. This may include labels,
sleeves, tags, coding/markings, etching, directly applied inks or by any other similar process. This is a WorldStar General Award Category.
Gold Winner 2026 Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year GOLD winner is RePlay Returnables: Bonson Packaging.
LABELLING & DECORATION
GOLD WINNER RePlay Returnables is a returnable container system by Bonson Packaging, designed specifically for food & deli services to not only replace single-use containers, but to also create a reusable system. The system allows customers to buy deli goods in transparent reusable PP containers using a simple tap of their phone or debit card. Each container features a dishwasher-resistant Variable Data IML label with a unique scannable code, enabling track-and-trace from purchase to return, through the cleaning cycle, and then back to reuse. Customers use Tap to RePlay™ technology to link containers to their account, encouraging cleaning, returning, and reuse, supporting up to 50 cycles. The pack has been designed with a soft-edged square shape that balances visual appeal with practical performance, improved spatial efficiency and is combined with a leak-resistant lid that provides the reassuring audible ‘click’ sound when sealed.
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The large radiuses on the tub walls and bases offers easy scooping and serving and avoids food catchment areas. Avoiding food residue and moisture catchment areas in both the tub and lid designs was also critical to ensure efficient washing and drying during the sanitation process between uses. The QRcode also allows Bonson to track the container throughout the borrow & return cycle, and to see how many times the container has been borrowed/returned. Also, by scanning the QR code with their phone the consumer will be taken to the RePlay website which explains how the RePlay Returnable system works, and its benefits.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year SILVER winner is Ecomark Natural Branding: Costa Group, Result Group & The Packaging Hippie. LABELLING & DECORATION
SILVER WINNER
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2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Bronze Winner
LABELLING & DECORATION
BRONZE WINNER 2026 Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year BRONZE winner is EL TORO Tequila Blanco Vok Beverages, Bickfords Australia: MCC Label Australia (Asia Pacific).
Watch the LABELLING & DECORATION winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Outside of the Box Design of the Year The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award has been established for
miscellaneous packs and materials that are not included in any other category.
Gold Winner
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
GOLD WINNER The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award GOLD winner is Milk Bottle Recycling System: Popit Recycling, Martogg & Procal Dairies. Australian company Popit Recycling has set new global standards in the recycling of HDPE plastic milk bottles. In partnership with Martogg and Procal Dairies, they have broken the long-standing barrier of recycled HDPE being prohibitively more expensive than virgin material. Milk processors can now switch from a virgin to a recycled HDPE bottle and generate net savings. The Milk Bottle Recycling solution is a transformative system of post-consumer milk bottle recovery and recycling in a truly circular, closed-loop process. Empty Bottle Takeback enables producers to ‘take back’ post-consumer HDPE bottles from their food-service customers, (in the original crates), and return them to site for recycling. On-Site Bottle Recycling recycles the returned PCR HDPE milk bottles on-site using the innovative machine, Popit. Popit is a small, modular hot-wash plant that was designed, engineered and manufactured right here in Australia.
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It comprises two modules. 1. The Recovery Module that integrates with the producers existing crate wash infrastructure and it does two things; (1) automates the emptying of bottles from returned crates, and (2) scanning of bottles and removal of any contaminants. 2. The second module is the Wash Module; which is a fully enclosed unit that cuts the bottles into flakes, hot-caustic washes the flakes, purifies the flakes, dries the flakes, sorts the flakes, and then packages the flakes in bulk bags. The key is making the economics of recycling on-site at milk processing plants work. The major innovation that makes all of this possible is the small footprint and low cost of Popit. Popit is 10x smaller and 10x cheaper than conventional industrial-scale hot-wash systems. The technology provides significant supply chain improvements in the areas of logistics, traceability, sustainability and cost.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award SILVER winner is Nally Folding MegaBin: Viscount. OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
SILVER WINNER
Bronze Winner
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
BRONZE WINNER The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award BRONZE winner is Scaling Traceability: Result Group & Australian Table Grapes Association. Watch the OUTSIDE OF THE BOX DESIGN winning video here.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Marketing Design Special Award Packaging can elicit emotional responses in consumers and should be seen as your best form of marketing. The right packaging design and eye-catching aesthetics can create emotional stimuli that ensures a brand is purchased. This can incorporate the functionality of the pack,
the aesthetic design and the outstanding visual appearance that makes the pack stand out on shelf, the premium and gifting style design, and/or unique and interactive communication tools on the pack. This is a WorldStar Packaging Award Special Category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Marketing Design of the Year GOLD winner is RePlay Returnables: Bonson Packaging. This is the second Gold award for the RePlay system in the 2026 round of the PIDA Awards.
MARKETING
GOLD WINNER
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Marketing Design of the Year SILVER winner is Ecomark Natural Branding: Costa Group, Result Group & The Packaging Hippie. MARKETING
SILVER WINNER
Bronze Winner
MARKETING
BRONZE WINNER The 2026 Marketing Design of the Year BRONZE winner is G’day Honey Anti Dust spray Propolis & Kakadu Plum: Pure Australia. Watch the MARKETING DESIGN SPECIAL AWARD winning video here.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design Special Award Packaging can elicit emotional responses in consumers and should be seen as your best form of marketing. The right packaging design and eye-catching aesthetics can create emotional stimuli that ensures a brand is purchased. This can incorporate the functionality of the pack, the aesthetic
design and the outstanding visual appearance that makes the pack stand out on shelf, the premium and gifting style design, and/ or unique and interactive communication tools on the pack. This is a WorldStar Packaging Award Special Category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design of the Year GOLD winner is Betty & Margie adaptive makeup tools & accessible mailer box: ByStorm Beauty.
ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE PACKAGING
GOLD WINNER
ByStorm Beauty is an Australian accessible beauty brand creating adaptive makeup tools designed with, and for, the disability community. Founder Storm Menzies was born with mild cerebral palsy, but it wasn’t until she broke her dominant hand that she realised how inaccessible the world of beauty really was. In an industry built on confidence and self-expression, access is still treated like an afterthought, and too many people are left to improvise, struggle, or opt out.
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Instead of waiting for the industry to catch up, Storm taught herself 3D modelling and prototyping to start designing solutions that actually work for hands that move differently. From the beginning, ByStorm Beauty has been shaped through co-design with people with disability, using real feedback to refine form, function, comfort, and usability. This disability-led approach is central to everything they create, from the product design to the packaging experience.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
ByStorm Beauty designs adaptive makeup tools that make everyday beauty products easier to use for people with disability and anyone with hands that work differently. Their first products, Betty and Margie, are the same product in two different shapes that support different movement patterns. Betty is a rounded grip designed to sit comfortably in the palm and supports users who can curl their fingers. Margie is a flatter, paddle-style grip designed to support a more open-hand hold, offering stability for users who find finger curling or pinch-based control difficult. Both grips are designed to fit a wide range of cylindrical beauty products, and ByStorm Beauty provides a product compatibility
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
checker to help customers confirm fit before purchase. ByStorm’s accessible mailer box has been designed so customers can open their order independently, without tools, or needing to ask someone else for help. The pack includes an easy-tear strip to reduce opening force and removes the need to peel tape or pick at edges. The mailer box also includes a ribbon feature designed for an under-hand motion. Customers slide their hand under the ribbon and lift the lid, reducing the need for pinch grip and tightly curled fingers. The opening point is clear and intuitive, guided by the wording ‘Tear into this beauty’. Inside the box, an accessible insert includes braille indicating the QR code location (including a braille outline to help users locate it). The QR code links to audio and visual instructions and an Easy Read format, ensuring customers can access product information in the format that works best for them.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design of the Year SILVER winner is Honey Squeeze Pack: Caps & Closures. ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER
Watch the ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE PACKAGING DESIGN SPECIAL AWARD winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
I just wanted to extend my sincere thanks for organisng such a fantastic event yesterday. It was exceptionally well run, and a real credit to all the effort that went into making it such a success. Thank you again for a wonderful evening!
(03) 9791 5633 www.martogg.com.au plastics@martogg.com.au
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Save Food Packaging Design Special Award The Save Food Packaging Design special award is designed to recognise companies that are working to minimise or prevent food waste from paddock to plate using innovative and intuitive design features
that can contain and protect, preserve and extend shelf life; all the while meeting global sustainable packaging targets. This is a WorldStar Packaging Award Special Award category.
Gold Winner The 2026 Save Food Packaging Design Special Award GOLD winner is Birds Eye Frozen Single Vegetables 825g Range: Simplot.
SAVE FOOD PACKAGING
GOLD WINNER
The 825g product range was launched with new packaging design that was a first in ANZ market for the frozen vegetables category. The design incorporates a 50% recycled content PE laminated block bottom bag with SealStrip’s Peel&Seal resealable tape attached on the bag. The launch of the new packaging for Birds Eye core vegetables 825g range is the brand’s first leading packaging design change over the last two decades. The key driver was addressing the number one consumer packaging pain point for frozen vegetable ranges; product spillage for loose vegetables during consumption and storage, and household food waste.
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The provision of block bottom bag and resealable tape formats are aimed to educate consumers to use the innovative Save Food Packaging design feature of resealable tape in portion control consumption. The introduction of reseal tape allows consumers to reseal the opened bag for multiple servings and to protect product from spillage during storage. By rolling the opened bag down as tight as possible to the leftover product and resealing the bag will ensure limited to no frozen product spilling onto freezer during storage and reducing risk of food waste.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner
SAVE FOOD PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER The 2026 Save Food Packaging Design Special Award SILVER winner is AUSTLON SG Self Sealing Shrink Bag: IPE Pack and Technology.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Bronze Winner The 2026 Save Food Packaging Design Special Award BRONZE winner is Heinz Taste Tap Dispenser: Kraft Heinz Australia. SAVE FOOD PACKAGING
BRONZE WINNER
High Commendation Winner
SAVE FOOD PACKAGING
HIGH COMMENDATION The 2026 Save Food Packaging Design Special Award HIGH COMMENDATION winner is Paper Food Tub and Lid System: Pinnacle Packaging. Watch the SAVE FOOD PACKAGING DESIGN SPECIAL AWARD winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING DESIGN FOR RECOVERY
GOLD WINNER
ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER
IS ONLY HALF THE STORY FOOD PACKAGING
When you call, you get people. When you need progress, you get momentum. It’s what we do together that sets us apart. capsandclosures.com.au
BRONZE WINNER
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award The Sustainable Packaging Design special award is designed to recognise companies that have developed innovative packaging or processing solutions that incorporates sustainability considerations. Elements include social, material, source reduction, energy and recovery. The award also considers all environmental impacts across the pack including meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets, embedding the Australasian Recycling Label on pack, adhering to as many of the Sustainable Packaging Design Guidelines as possible and more. This is a WorldStar Packaging Award Special Category.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING Due to the high number of entries across varying Sustainable Packaging Design principles the judges separated the winners into five subset activities. This year there are 5x gold Sustainable Packaging Design winners, 4x silver and 1 bronze. The subset categories awarded are: 1. Resource Reduction 2. Reuse 3. Recycled Content 4. Design for Recovery 5. Innovations in Resource Recovery
Watch the SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING DESIGN SPECIAL AWARD winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Gold Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Resource Reduction GOLD winner is Ecomark Natural Branding: Costa Group, Result Group & The Packaging Hippie. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING RESOURCE REDUCTION
GOLD WINNER
This project was delivered in collaboration with Costa Group and was developed around a shared and practical question. Can seasonal communication be delivered without adding more packaging? The project delivered this idea in a live retail environment, focusing on material reduction while maintaining operational fit, regulatory compliance and shopper acceptance. This project represents the starting point of Ecomark’s journey in Australia, demonstrating that sustainability and effective marketing can be achieved together under real retail conditions. The project with Costa Group explored a packaging led approach to reducing material use in seasonal fresh produce campaigns. Traditionally, seasonal marketing in fresh produce relies on additional packaging components such as promotional labels, sleeves or tags.
These elements are often produced for short periods and discarded soon after use, increasing material use and waste without changing the core packaging system. For Costa's Easter 2025 avocado campaign, decoration was applied directly onto individual avocados using precision laser marking technology. The fruit itself became the communication surface, removing the need for additional promotional packaging elements. The laser interacts only with the outer layer of the avocado skin, creating a permanent, food safe mark without penetrating the fruit or affecting quality, shelf life or eating experience. The Costa Group project validated that decorative and promotional communication can be delivered without increasing packaging material inputs, providing a clear pathway toward more material efficient fresh produce packaging systems.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Resource Reduction SILVER winner is 600ml Spring Water: Woolworths. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING RESOURCE REDUCTION
SILVER WINNER
Bronze Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Resource Reduction BRONZE winner is Coles Antibacterial Handwash 250ml: TrendPac & Coles. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING RESOURCE REDUCTION
BRONZE WINNER
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Gold Winner
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING REUSE
GOLD WINNER The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Reuse GOLD winner is RePlay Returnables: Bonson Packaging. This is the third Gold award for the RePlay system and the most gold awards for any company in the 2026 round of the PIDA Awards.
Silver Winner
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING REUSE
SILVER WINNER The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Reuse SILVER winner is Nally Folding MegaBin: Viscount.
2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Gold Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design Recycled Content GOLD winner is ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range: thinkpac.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING RECYCLED CONTENT
GOLD WINNER
A core capability of Thinkpac is the development of ReCree8® resin, a proprietary recycled polymer produced from 100% postconsumer soft plastic waste. All products in the range contain 50% ReCree8® post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin. The ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range is designed for high-pressure industrial pallet wrapping applications, maintains load containment, elongation and recovery performance.
The range is compatible with existing hand and machine wrapping equipment. The mono-material PE film reduces the amount of virgin material uses in pallet wrap and supports recyclability in Australia, where soft plastics collection pathways exist. The range is designed for logistics and warehousing environments where pallet wrap is essential to product protection and transport efficiency.
Aussie meat. Aussie tray.
CRYOVAC® recycled-content retail meat trays
– protecting Australia’s hard earned meat harvests.
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Learn more
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Gold Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Design for Recovery GOLD winner is Honey Squeeze Pack: Caps & Closures.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING DESIGN FOR RECOVERY
GOLD WINNER
By weaving recycled materials and recoveryfocused design into every possible product, Caps & Closures ensures their closures deliver leak resistance, shelf-life protection, less product waste, and easy dispensing. Designed for the Australian honey industry the Squeeze Pack blends precise dispensing, dependable leak resistance, and recycledcontent materials into a single solution that advances the entire category. The pack adapts to Brand’s needs, offering options with different levels of recycled content, including a 100% PCR version for bottle, cap and valve. The Honey Squeeze Pack replaces silicone with a fully recyclable valve material, ensuring the entire cap is recyclable. This breakthrough strengthens the pack’s recyclability.
The Honey Squeeze Pack brings together bottle, flip-top cap, and dispensing valve in perfect harmony. The dispensing valve is designed to support controlled flow and clean cut-off, helping reduce drips, mess and product waste during everyday use. The design’s real-world strengths include no leaks, precise squeezes, effortless onehanded use, accessible design, and minimal honey left behind. Intuitive, single-handed operation supports a broader range of users and use contexts, improving usability when grip strength or dexterity is limited. This thoughtfully engineered pack ensures mess-free, precise pours of thick, golden honey, while championing sustainability with recycled materials and a design focused on responsible disposal.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Design for Recovery SILVER winner is Mono material HDPE tube and cap range: Impact International. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING DESIGN FOR RECOVERY
SILVER WINNER
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Gold Winner The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design – Innovations in Resource Recovery GOLD winner is Smart Circular Satchel: Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack & Signet.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING INNOVATIONS IN RESOURCE RECOVERY
GOLD WINNER
The Smart Circular Satchel is made from 100% Australian post‑consumer recycled LDPE derived from Australian household soft plastics. Processing and manufacture were undertaken entirely onshore in Australia through a fully domestic, end‑to‑end chain, from pellets to film to finished satchel. This is an Australian‑first, multi-stakeholder coordinated onshore circular satchel made from Australian household soft plastics (LDPE). The mono‑material LDPE structure uses 100% post‑consumer recycled content and supports compatibility with established recycling processes. The lightweight design improves transport efficiency and network performance, with
the satchel engineered to a film gauge of ~65 microns to minimise material use in production and recovery, while keeping total package weight to approximately 20g and meeting durability requirements for postal handling. Australia Post has also included a tracking barcode and customer declaration via a QR code. The satchel supports a controlled, closed‑loop return pathway via Australia Post, rather than commingled disposal, helping keep the material stream clean and consistent so the LDPE can be more readily recycled, ultimately maximising recovery yield.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Silver Winner The 2026 Sustainable – Innovations in Resource Recovery SILVER winner is Milk Bottle Recycling System: Popit Recycling, Martogg & Procal Dairies. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING INNOVATIONS IN RESOURCE RECOVERY
SILVER WINNER
ANZ EXCLUSIVE ENTRY TO
winners of the 2026 round of the Australasian All of the 2024 AustralasianAll Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Award winners are now eligible to exclusively enter the 2025 round of Innovation the WorldStar Packaging Awards that are run by the World Packaging & Design (PIDA) Awards Packaging Organisation. The 2025 WorldStar Packaging Awards will be are now eligible exclusively to enter the 2027held alongside of Ipack Ima tradeshow in Milan, Italy in May. WorldStar Packaging Awards and represent Australia and New Zealand on a global level. Owned & Operated by the World Packaging Organisation, the WorldStar Packaging Awards is the pre-eminent awards program in the world.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Young Packaging Professional of the Year The purpose of the Young Packaging Professional of the Year Award is to provide incentive and recognition to young professionals who are both currently working in and wish to continue their career path within the Packaging industry in both Australia and New Zealand.
This can be within any industries such as Food, Beverage, Health, Beauty & Wellness, Domestic & Household. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase young professionals within our great industry.
Gold Winner The winner of the 2026 Young Packaging Professional of the Year is Pooja Ganesh Nayak, Packaging Engineer, Coles.
YOUNG PACKAGING PROFESSIONAL
WINNER Since moving to Australia in 2018 to complete her master’s in chemical engineering at Monash University, Pooja Ganesh Nayak has built a career that seamlessly integrates engineering principles with practical, retail scale packaging implementation. Her academic grounding in areas such as process optimisation, continuous improvement, biomass and biorefineries, mass balance, and reaction engineering have provided her with a strong technical base – one she now applies every day as a packaging engineer. This background enables her to make evidence-driven decisions on recyclability, material performance, logistics efficiency and machinability, while also guiding and supporting growers as new packaging formats are tested across varying equipment.
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In 2022, Pooja joined Coles Supermarkets as a Packaging Technologist and progressed to Packaging Engineer. She has become a key part of the packaging specialist team at Coles supporting the Own Brand Fresh Produce and Convenience business units to shift formats from non‑recyclable to recyclable, in line with Coles’ R3 Packaging Framework and the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Over her four years at Coles, Pooja has contributed to further positioning sustainable packaging as a core priority that sits within ‘Circularity’.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards She is recognised as a subject‑matter expert across Fresh Produce and Fresh Convenience; she combines strong technical capability with supplier‑focused engagement and structured project management. Her analytical and cross‑functional leadership consistently delivers outcomes that advance the objectives of Coles’ R3 Packaging Framework and key Sustainable Packaging Guideline (SPG) objectives. Pooja Ganesh Nayak is a standout professional in sustainable packaging: a trusted expert to growers, and a results driven asset to
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
internal teams. Her portfolio demonstrates how thoughtful design, recycled materials, clear consumer information, and accessible formats can deliver substantial environmental outcomes at retail scale. With millions of plastic components removed, hundreds of tonnes of virgin plastic avoided, CO2 emissions reduced, and recyclability advanced across categories, Pooja’s work exemplifies the effect of passion applied with purpose: practical in execution, collaborative in approach, and transformative in impact.
Watch the YOUNG PACKAGING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year The Industry Packaging Professional of the Year Award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the Packaging in both Australia and New Zealand. The judges were looking for individuals who have
demonstrated vision and leadership, shown innovation and were not afraid to take risks. Another criteria was the significant and continued contribution of an Individual to the packaging industry over a minimum period of 20 years.
Gold Winner The winner of the 2026 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year is David Kilpatrick MAIP, R&D, Quality & Innovation Director, Zipform Packaging.
INDUSTRY PACKAGING PROFESSIONAL
WINNER Starting his packaging career in 2002 with Dysons Packaging, David’s packaging passion grew to the point that in 2010 he set up his own packaging business with partner Eddy Pahor. The business was called SOTA Packaging, the acronym being ‘State of the Art’, and their focus was on paper-based packaging. David’s vision was for ‘More Paper, less Plastic.’ This business is known today as Zipform Packaging. David’s contribution to the industry far exceeds his work at Zipform Packaging. David is single-handedly responsible for introducing the linear-formed fibre technology into Australia in 2011 and paper-bottomed packs in 2016; long before sustainability was such a key driver for businesses.
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His drive and vision have changed the world of liner-formed fibre technologies in the Southern Hemisphere. The new state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant in Melbourne is a testament to his vision. Representative of David’s technical expertise, innovative mindset and industry standing, Zipform Packaging’s linear formed packs have won 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze PIDA Awards and 2 WorldStar Awards in the period 2021 to 2026.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards David is also an Active Member of the AIP, sits on standards working groups for the Institute, presents whenever asked, represents Zipform on APCO working groups and was one of the consortium members of the AIP led Save Food Packaging Design guidelines project with RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia; which has now been globalised through the WPO, UNIDO and Foundation FSSC. David continues to drive innovations in the fibre industry and has developed a paper bottle which combines multiple technologies (linear forming, dry moulded fibre and dispersion coatings) to deliver a bottle which
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is widely kerbside recyclable, being > 95% fibre, has over 60% post-consumer recycled content, and, most critically is commercially scalable. With the support of the Meat & Livestock Association of Australia, David has also completed Phase 1 trials of a dry moulded fibre meat tray which will be a world-first using this technology. David has led the charge in progressing the use of fibre packaging and has made a huge personal and business, contribution to packaging advancement locally, regionally and globally.
Watch the INDUSTRY PACKAGING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 Packaging Technologist of the Year The Packaging Technologist of the Year Award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the Packaging industry across Australia, New Zealand & Asia.
The judges were looking for packaging technologists, engineers, specialists, designers who have demonstrated advanced technical packaging skills and competencies through projects, initiatives and unique packaging designs.
Gold Winner The winner of the 2026 Packaging Technologist of the Year is Christopher Cester Dip.Pkg.Tech. MAIP, Senior Packaging Technologist, Flavour Makers.
PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIST
WINNER During his 20-year career with Flavour Makers, Christopher Cester has grown alongside the business. In two decades, the business has evolved from a simple dry-blending operation, into a sophisticated manufacturer with a diverse range of capabilities. Christopher has led the design and implementation of every format Flavour Makers utilise - from dry goods and hotfill to form-fill-seal and rigid plastics, redesigning many to meet modern sustainability standards. As a packaging professional from a nontechnical background, the AIP have been an invaluable partner in Christopher’s journey. The AIP’s technical and specialised courses
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have been able to bridge his knowledge gaps and inspired him to ‘level up’ by undertaking the Diploma of Packaging Technology; of which he is now a graduate. Beyond education, the AIP have encouraged Christopher to step outside of his comfort zone, providing a platform to present his incredible technically-advanced work at multiple events across the globe and help
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
build his personal and professional confidence to keep growing and striving for excellence.
Award (2023) and a WorldStar Packaging Award (2024).
In a packaging career, it is rare to work on projects underpinned by genuine world-first technical breakthroughs; Christopher has been fortunate to lead two such projects in the last 5 years.
During 2023–2024, he faced an even greater challenge of bringing a mono-material retort spout pouch to market the Australian Organic Food Co: Mono-Material Retort Spout Pouch. This was a major technical feat that required overcoming an entirely new set of technical and collaborative hurdles. While the finished product may resemble a standard spout pouch, it represents a massive leap forward in mono-material innovation. This project was recognised as a World-first innovation and won both Silver and Gold PIDA Awards (2025), a WorldStar Packaging Award (2026) and an FPA (USA) award for excellence in flexible packaging.
The first during 2022–2023: the launch of The Australian Organic Food Co: MonoMaterial Retort Pouch, the first mono-material pouch for retort sterilisation applications that is CEFLEX compliant. The innovation developed a barrier PP film that could maintain performance after enduring harsh retort temperatures. This project overcame a long-standing technical barrier to the circular economy and won a Bronze and a Gold PIDA
Watch the PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIST OF THE YEAR winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
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2026 ABA Scholarships The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), in partnership with the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), is pleased to offer an annual Scholarship program for Australia and New Zealand. The Scholarship
program will enable one eligible candidate the opportunity to undertake a Diploma in Packaging Technology and a second person the opportunity to undertake a Certificate in Packaging.
ABA Certificate in Packaging Winner The winner of the ABA Scholarship for a Certificate in Packaging is Andrew Rennie AAIP, Sales Representative, Oji Fibre Solutions New Zealand. ABA SCHOLARSHIP CERTIFICATE IN PACKAGING
WINNER Over the past year, a great deal has changed for Andrew Rennie professionally and personally. He has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, completed three years as a Packaging Technologist at Synlait Milk Limited, and recently begun a new chapter as a Sales Representative for Oji Fibre Solutions. These experiences have shaped his skill set, but also his understanding of the career path he wants to pursue. Andrew added “If you had asked me during university whether I imagined myself in the role I am in today, I would have said you were crazy. Entering the packaging industry has been a pivotal moment in my career, giving me the opportunity to demonstrate multiple facets of my character and capability. It has challenged me, shaped me, and ultimately confirmed that this is the industry in which I want to build my future,”
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“Winning this scholarship represents the next step in that journey. It will allow me to further develop the skills that matter most in this field and position me to not only excel among my peers but also to contribute meaningful, long‑lasting change to the industry,” he said. “What excites me most about the packaging industry is the ability to intersect science, design and process engineering to solve global problems.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
This is an industry where even the small changes can have significant impact on businesses and the environment. The evolving nature of this industry offers endless opportunities to innovate and drive progress which is one of the reasons I am so passionate,” “Ultimately, I aspire to become a packaging manager within the industry. Someone who can make informed, balanced decisions that not only drives success within the organisation, but also supports sustainable, responsible solutions that benefit the wider global community. My long‑term ambition is to help guide the industry toward practices that create lasting, positive impact.” he said.
Watch the ABA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS winning video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
ABA Diploma in Packaging Technology Winner The winner of the ABA Scholarship for the Diploma in Packaging Technology is Ola Wicik AAIP, Packaging Engineer, Opal Fibre Packaging Australia. ABA SCHOLARSHIP DIPLOMA IN PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
WINNER As a Packaging Engineer Ola sits at the intersection of technical packaging development, performance validation, compliance standards and customer communication. She plays a key technical and strategic role, bridging the gap between design, manufacturing and customer needs. Primarily her responsibility is to ensure that all packaging solutions, typically made from corrugated cardboard or fibreboard, are fit for purpose, cost-effective, sustainable and manufacturable at scale. Ola is not simply executing tasks, but influencing decisions, validating specifications, evaluating risks and guiding people towards correct technical outcomes. As Ola added ‘Whilst I don’t see myself as a teacher, I have developed a strong interest in educating colleagues across the business about the technical foundations of this industry: what makes paper strong versus weak? Why does one type of corrugation matter more than another? How can one box be so different from the next?“ “As my passion for materials and packaging has continued to grow from seeing the profound impact this industry has on society, I have become increasingly aware of a broader challenge: how can I amplify and elevate an industry that often operates outside the spotlight?”
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“Winning this scholarship represents the next deliberate step in my personal and professional development and career. It will allow me to deepen my technical expertise, strengthen my career capability, and accelerate the impact I can have within the industry. With this opportunity, I will be positioned to translate knowledge into measurable improvements in engineering, design, sustainability, and stakeholder education over the next five years.” she said.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
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2026 AIP President Scholarship The AIP President Scholarship has been designed to work in collaboration with the ABA program to help one additional person undertake either a Certificate in Packaging or a Diploma in Packaging Technology,
should the judges deem an additional scholarship is deserved due to the quality of submissions. This scholarship was open to AIP Members that reside outside of Australia and New Zealand.
AIP President Scholarship Winner
AIP PRESIDENT SCHOLARSHIP
The winner of the AIP Scholarship for a Diploma in Packaging Technology is Wilsen Kannan AAIP, CPP, Assistant Packaging Manager, Vinda Malaysia.
WINNER Wilsen Kannan has worked with Vinda Malaysia for almost 9 years and has been responsible for technical packaging, supply chain and logistics and sustainability. He has handled multiple projects within the business, from new machinery set up, installation and also the biggest of them all, the new Automated Storage Retrieval System Warehouse. Wilsen does not see his job, as a job, but views it as something he loves doing. He sees challenges as a way to express himself to improve not only the things around him, but others as well. In 2018 Wilsen decided he needed more technical packaging knowledge and discovered the AIP. He started by enrolling in the Certified Packaging Professional in Training (CPIT) program with the AIP.
He then followed by becoming a fully-fledged Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) and just this month re-certified his designation. Wilsen’s thirst for knowledge is at a level rarely seen by the AIP. He has attended webinars, on-line courses, participated in multiple tradeshows with the AIP, bought all of the textbooks and more recently joined the Australasian Delegation to ProPak Asia and for the first time this year he joined his first AIP forum as a panellist in Thailand. Wilsen added ‘The AIP has been a life changing experience for me. My goal is to be the youngest Certified Packaging Professional Lifetime in Asia."
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
“Winning this scholarship is a game changer for me as I will now be able to gain a better understanding of technical packaging from many different perspectives and not limited to only packaging in my country,” “In the future I would like to be a change maker in the industry and hopefully can start my own packaging organisation in Malaysia.” Wilsen said.
Watch the AIP PRESIDENT'S AWARD SCHOLARSHIP winning video here. As always, another amazing event last night. Thank you for everything you do to support our industry. Your commitment to bringing people together is genuinely appreciated. It's quite remarkable, and unique, to have such a diverse group of people from across every part of the supply chain in one room. The connections, conversations, and collaboration that these events foster are incredibly valuable.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
AIP Special Awards One of the core objectives of the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is to ensure that individuals are recognised for their significant contributions to the packaging industry.
AIP Special Awards are not given often and are designed to recognise inspirational individuals who have contributed significantly to the packaging industry over many years. The people who stand out for making a difference.
AIP LIFE Membership Recipient Ralph Moyle FAIP (Life), CPP How does the AIP recognise someone who is already a Fellow of the AIP, an Industry Packaging Professional of the Year, a recipient of the AIP Founders Award, is a Certified Packaging Professional and a World Packaging Organisation Lifetime Achievement Award winner? The answer is by recognising them with an AIP Special Award that has only ever been awarded seven times in 63 years, until the 28th of July 2026. The recipient has become one of the most influential packaging educators in the Asian region. They have trained and mentored thousands of packaging professionals over their career and has been instrumental in advancing industry understanding of sustainable packaging design, the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), PREP recyclability assessments, circular economy principles and Australia’s National Packaging Targets. This talented person stands among the most highly respected technical packaging professionals in Australasia. Combining deep technical expertise with a passion for education, sustainability, standards development and professional advancement, they have helped shape modern packaging practice across multiple industries. Their legacy extends beyond packaging innovation to the thousands of professionals they have trained, mentored and inspired throughout a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years.
Please join the Australasian Institute of Packaging in formally welcoming our new LIFE Member Ralph Moyle.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
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WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
AIP Fellowship Recipient Richard Fine FAIP The grade of Fellow is the highest recognition to AIP members and is designed to recognise the significant and sustained contribution to the technology, science or application to packaging in the industry. The 2026 AIP Fellow is one of Australia's most influential sustainability entrepreneurs and a recognised pioneer of compostable foodservice packaging. They have spent nearly two decades transforming the packaging industry by proving that environmental responsibility and commercial success can work hand in hand. Their vision was to provide practical, commercially viable alternatives that could reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-based plastics while supporting the needs of businesses across the foodservice sector. Their commitment to innovation has driven the development and adoption of renewable, certified compostable packaging solutions that have helped reshape industry expectations and standards. They were instrumental in the creation of Compost Connect, a not-for-profit initiative designed to connect businesses with commercial composting services, helping address one of the biggest barriers to compostable packaging adoption. The initiative has become an important catalyst for circular economy outcomes and emissions reduction. This person stands among the most influential sustainability leaders in the packaging industry. Combining entrepreneurial vision, technical
expertise and a commitment to environmental stewardship, they have helped transform compostable packaging from a niche concept into a mainstream business solution. Through the business they run with an incredible partner, Compost Connect and broader industry advocacy, this AIP Member has delivered lasting environmental, commercial and societal impact, leaving a significant legacy for future generations. Please welcome AIP’s newest Fellow, Richard Fine, Co-Founder & Sustainability Director, BioPak.
Watch the AIP SPECIAL AWARDS presentation video here.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
PIDA 2026 winners: So much to celebrate!
PIDA 2026 winners reflect packaging's next chapter The winners of the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards reveal an industry moving beyond incremental packaging improvements towards solutions that integrate circularity, usability, accessibility and digital functionality. Organised by the Australasian Institute of Packaging, the PIDA awards recognise packaging innovation across Australia and New Zealand. Held last night in Melbourne, to coincide with the foodpro exhibition, this year's awards showcased innovations spanning consumer packaging, industrial applications, sustainability initiatives and professional excellence. All category winners are now eligible to represent Australia and New Zealand in the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards.
A clear pattern emerged across the winning entries, reflecting trends we've seen playing out in the wider packaging industry. The strongest takeout is that circular economy thinking has progressed beyond material substitution alone, with greater emphasis on reuse models, design for recovery and closed-loop recycling. Also notable is that consumer convenience and accessibility have become central design considerations, while digital functionality and traceability are increasingly being integrated into packaging solutions rather than treated as optional extras. But perhaps the most enduring message from this year's awards is that sustainability is no longer a category in its own right. Instead, it has become an expectation that underpins good packaging design across virtually every category.
This article was published with permission from PKN Packaging News
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards In the Food category, top honours went to Primo Foods and Amcor Flexibles for a peel-and-reseal sliced meats pack that combines improved consumer functionality with a 10 per cent reduction in plastic and a recycle-ready mono-material PET structure. In beverages, Graphic Packaging International and Asahi Beverages were recognised for replacing traditional shrink wrap with a kerbside recyclable fibrebased wrap for Carlton Dry six-packs, demonstrating how fibre continues to replace plastic where it delivers both environmental and operational benefits. Health, Beauty & Wellness winner Impact International demonstrated another important trend – designing packaging for recyclability from the outset. Its mono-material HDPE tube and cap range replaces the traditional PE/PP combination with a single-material solution incorporating Australian-made post-consumer recycled content, allowing both components to enter the HDPE recycling stream together. In the Domestic & Household category, Yates Group's Click & Grow Garden Care System showed how packaging design is also improving safety and usability, with a contact-free refill system that eliminates direct handling of garden
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chemicals while making controlled dispensing easier for consumers. Another characteristic shared by many of this year's winners is that they solve multiple challenges simultaneously. Rather than addressing sustainability, usability or marketing as separate objectives, the strongest entries combine them into integrated packaging solutions. Bonson Packaging's RePlay Returnables system exemplifies that approach. Recognised across multiple award categories (scoring gold for Labelling & Decoration, Marketing and Sustainable Packaging Design | Reuse), it combines durable reusable containers with digital identification, consumer engagement and product traceability to create a packaging system that extends well beyond the pack itself. Likewise, the Honey Squeeze Pack from Caps & Closures was recognised across several categories (earning gold in Sustainable Packaging | Design for Recovery) for bringing together recyclability, recycled content, accessibility and consumer-friendly dispensing in a single design. Accessibility also emerged as a defining theme. ByStorm Beauty received the Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design award for adaptive beauty tools and packaging developed in collaboration with people living with disability.
This article was published with permission from PKN Packaging News
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards The judges recognised not only the products themselves, but an accessible unboxing experience incorporating intuitive opening features, braille and multiple information formats, reinforcing the industry's growing recognition that good packaging should work for the broadest possible range of consumers. Food waste reduction remains another key focus. Simplot's redesigned Birds Eye frozen vegetable packaging was recognised with gold in the Save Food Packaging Design category for incorporating resealable functionality that helps reduce product spillage, supports portion control and encourages consumers to return unused product to the freezer rather than discard it. The Sustainable Packaging Design category reflected the diversity of approaches now being taken across the industry. Rather than recognising a single winner,
the
awarded
judges projects
across five sustainability principles – resource reduction
(Costa
Group, Result Group &
The
Packaging
Hippie), reuse (Bonson Packaging), recycled content
(thinkpac),
design for recovery
(Caps & Closures), and innovations in resource recovery (Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack & Signet) – illustrating that meaningful sustainability outcomes are now being pursued through multiple, complementary pathways. Several winning projects also demonstrated the growing importance of systems thinking beyond individual packaging formats. The Milk Bottle Recycling System developed by Popit Recycling, Martogg and Procal Dairies combines collection, on-site recycling and material reuse into a closed-loop model designed to improve both economics and traceability. It scored gold in the Outside of the Box category. Meanwhile, the Smart Circular Satchel – developed by Australia Post in partnership with iQRenew, RollsPack and Signet – showcases collaboration across the value chain to create an onshore circular solution for recovered household soft plastics. Alongside the product awards, the PIDA program also recognised the people driving packaging innovation. Awards for young professionals, packaging technologists and industry leaders, together with scholarships supporting technical education, reinforce the
This article was published with permission from PKN Packaging News
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WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards importance of developing industry capability alongside new packaging technologies. This year's winners show that packaging innovation is increasingly measured not by a single breakthrough, but by how effectively a solution balances multiple demands. The strongest entries combine functionality with sustainability, improve the consumer
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experience, and support more circular systems – demonstrating that the next chapter of packaging design is about solving connected challenges, not isolated ones. See full PKN story here and full list of people awards.
This article was published with permission from PKN Packaging News
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
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thinkpac Wins Gold for Recycled Content at the 2026 PIDA Awards thinkpac has won Gold for PIDA Recycled Content with its ReCree8® PCR Pallet Wrap range. The result came in the Recycled Content category of the Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award at the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards. The award covers the ReCree8® hand and machine pallet wrap range. These products use thinkpac’s proprietary recycled-resin platform.
2026 PIDA award summary Award result: Gold in the Recycled Content category of the Sustainable Packaging Design Special Award. Recognised range: ReCree8® hand wrap and machine pallet wrap. Award program: The 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards. Next step: thinkpac can now enter the range in the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards.
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ReCree8 ® Pallet Wrap Receives PIDA Recycled Content Recognition The award event took place on 28 July 2026 at The Aviary in Melbourne’s Crown Complex. It also ran alongside foodpro. The Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards are run by the Australasian Institute of Packaging. In addition, the PIDA Awards provide the Australia–New Zealand entry path to the international WorldStar Packaging Awards.
Which ReCree8 ® Pallet Wrap Products Won Recognition? The result covers the ReCree8® Pallet Wrap range. This range includes hand wrap HPW-380R and machine wrap MPW-1650R and MPW-1280R. All three products use thinkpac’s proprietary ReCree8® resin platform. thinkpac makes ReCree8® at a GRS, RecyClass and ISO 14001 certified facility in Malaysia. The business then stocks and distributes the finished products nationally from Melbourne.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards A Platform, Not Just One Product “This award is validation of a platform, not a product,” said Calvin Ng, Founder and Managing Director of thinkpac. The recognition highlights the ReCree8® platform and reinforces the company’s focus on providing verified, commercially viable PCR packaging solutions for Australian businesses.
“We built ReCree8 because Australian businesses using flexible plastic packaging needed a genuine, verified, commercially viable alternative to virgin plastic— not a marketing claim. ®
Off the back of this, we’re keen to work with more Australian businesses looking to replace virgin plastic in their packaging or operations with a proven, scalable PCR solution.”
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What the 2026 PIDA Gold Result Means for Packaging Buyers For procurement, operations and sustainability teams, the PIDA Recycled Content result adds another useful proof point. As a result, buyers can use it when they review recycled-content pallet wrap for commercial use. However, the award and the facility certifications cover different things. The award applies to the ReCree8® Pallet Wrap range and its recycledcontent packaging design. By contrast, the certifications listed above apply to the manufacturing facility.
What Happens Next Because thinkpac won PIDA Gold in 2026, the business can now enter the ReCree8® Pallet Wrap range in the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards. The event is scheduled for Bangkok in June 2027.
Explore ReCree8® Pallet Wrap Options Australian businesses can speak with the thinkpac team about ReCree8 ® pallet wrap and possible custom packaging applications. The team can also help with product choice, suitability, availability and documents for procurement or sustainability reviews.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING RESOURCE REDUCTION
GOLD WINNER
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LABELLING & DECORATION
MARKETING
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
SAVE FOOD PACKAGING
SILVER WINNER
SILVER WINNER
BRONZE WINNER
GOLD WINNER
Five PIDA Awards recognise Result Group projects and partnerships EcoMark Natural Branding and the ATGA Scaling Traceability platform received four awards, while partner Simplot took Gold for its Birds Eye resealable packaging solution. Result Group is celebrating four PIDA Awards across two of its collaborative projects, together with a fifth award won by partner Simplot at the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards. The recognition covered three very different parts of the packaging industry: laser marked avocados, an industry-wide traceability platform for Australian table grapes and a resealable frozen vegetable pack designed to reduce spills and food waste. The awards were presented in Melbourne on 28 July during foodpro 2026. Coordinated by the Australasian Institute of Packaging, the PIDA Awards recognise packaging innovation across Australia and New Zealand.
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Result Group CEO Michael Dossor said the five awards reflected the practical thinking and collaboration behind each project.
These projects look very different, but each one began with a real problem that needed to be solved, Mr Dossor said. “Costa wanted to create a strong retail campaign without adding another promotional material. ATGA needed traceability to work for growers of every size, not only the largest businesses. Simplot wanted to solve a common frustration people experience every time they open a bag of frozen vegetables. “The awards are a wonderful result, but what makes us proud is knowing these solutions are working in packhouses, on retail shelves and in people’s homes."
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
EcoMark Natural Branding uses a precisely controlled laser to create a pigment change in the outermost layer of a piece of fresh produce. Nothing is added to the product. There is no ink, chemical treatment or adhesive, and the laser does not penetrate the flesh or affect freshness, taste or shelf life.
Three awards for EcoMark Natural Branding EcoMark Natural Branding received Gold in Sustainable Packaging Design for Resource Reduction, along with Silver in Labelling & Decoration Design and Silver in Marketing Design. The winning campaign was created through a collaboration between Costa Group, Result Group and The Packaging Hippie. During April 2025, Costa Lovacado avocados carrying laser-etched Easter characters appeared in 20 selected Woolworths stores across Victoria.
Each partner brought a distinct part of the project together. Costa provided the produce knowledge, operational environment and confidence to test the idea in live retail. Gilad Sadan of The Packaging Hippie developed the campaign concept and creative direction. Result Group supplied the EcoMark technology and worked directly with the packhouse to test, validate and implement the application commercially. The three awards recognised the project from different perspectives. The Sustainable Packaging Gold acknowledged the avoidance of additional promotional material. The two Silver awards recognised the use of the fruit itself as both the decoration and the media space.
The idea was playful, but the question behind it was serious: could Costa run a visible seasonal campaign without introducing another label, tag, sleeve or promotional material? Instead of adding something to the pack, the campaign used the avocado skin itself as the communication surface. Shoppers could also scan a point-of-sale QR code and share their response to the idea. The standard PLU sticker remained on every avocado throughout the campaign. EcoMark carried the additional Easter message that would otherwise have required another piece of promotional material.
From a table grape pilot to an industry solution The Scaling Traceability project developed by Result Group and the Australian Table Grape Association received Bronze in the Outside of the Box Design category. The award recognised work that began with the table grape industry’s 2021–22 traceability pilot, delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s Food to Market Program. 2026 PIDA Wrap up
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards Following the pilot, ATGA received funding through the Australian Government’s National Agriculture Traceability Grants Program to develop a solution that could be used more widely across the industry. Australia’s table grape sector includes approximately 450 production entities, ranging from small family farms to large corporate operations. That diversity created one of the project’s central challenges. A workable traceability system could not assume that every grower had the same technology, resources or business requirements. Result Group developed the platform as a Plugand-Play solution designed to work with the systems growers already use. Rather than forcing businesses to abandon established processes, the platform enables different data systems to connect with the table grape export platform. The aim is to make traceability easier to adopt, reduce existing compliance pressure and provide clearer product information across the export supply chain. It also supports the industry’s work to build confidence in Australian table grapes throughout Southeast Asian markets. What started as a pilot has become an industryready approach built around the day-to-day realities of growers, exporters and supply chain partners. A Gold partner win for Simplot Result Group also celebrated Simplot’s Gold award in the Save Food Packaging Design category for the Birds Eye Frozen Single Vegetables 825g Range.
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WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
The award belongs to Simplot and is being recognised by Result Group as a proud partner win. The project addressed a familiar freezer problem. Once a conventional frozen vegetable bag is opened, vegetables can spill into the freezer, while the remaining product may be more difficult to store securely. By adding a resealable closure to the pack, Simplot made it easier for consumers to open the bag, use only what they need and store the remainder for another meal. The improvement supports everyday convenience while helping prevent unnecessary food waste in the home. Result Group is proud to supply the Sealstrip resealable tape used in the award-winning packaging. It is a relatively small change to a familiar product, but that is precisely why the solution stood out. It improves the way the pack works without asking consumers to change the way they shop, cook or store their food. Recognition built over time Five awards made for an exciting night, but none of the recognised work began with an awards entry. The EcoMark campaign grew from several years of testing before it reached a live retail environment. The ATGA platform developed from an initial pilot into a solution designed for growers across an entire industry. The Birds Eye pack addressed a simple problem that many consumers had experienced but packaging had not adequately solved.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Honey Squeeze Pack wins three awards at PIDA 2026 Gold for Design for Recovery. Silver for Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design. Bronze for Food Packaging Design. All three went to the Honey Squeeze Pack at the 2026 PIDA Awards, announced on the evening of Tuesday 28 July at The Aviary in the Crown Complex, Melbourne. There is a moment near the bottom of a jar of honey when most people give up. The spoon comes out clean. You tilt the jar, wait, tilt it again. Eventually the jar goes in the bin with precious honey still stuck around the sides. We have been making caps and closures in Melbourne since 1995. What gets left in the jar is food waste, and it is the kind of thing we think about. How much gets left is usually decided by the closure. The Honey Squeeze Pack was our answer to it. A clear rPET bottle that stands on its cap, so gravity keeps the honey waiting at the opening rather than somewhere up the back.
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A flip-top cap in rPP, in whatever colour a brand wants. And inside the cap, a dispensing valve in rPE that lets honey out in a controlled line and cuts it off cleanly when you stop squeezing. The valve is the part nobody sees. It is also the part that took the longest. Many honey squeeze packs use a silicone valve. Silicone works perfectly well. It also cannot be recycled, and when it travels through a recycling stream it travels as contamination the system tolerates rather than as material anyone gets back. It is an easy thing to leave alone. It is small, it is hidden, and no consumer is ever going to ask what it is made of.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
grip, or somebody holding a child, or anybody whose other hand is busy. The judges saw that before we had thought to say it, and we are grateful to them and to the AIP for looking that closely. The same evening, Ralph Moyle was made a Life Member of the AIP, an honour the Institute has given eight times in 63 years. He stood at the podium, looked directly at Brendon, and said that we do the simple things well. We would not have put it that well ourselves. A valve, a cap, a bottle that stands the wrong way up. Most of the work is in doing them properly.
We took it out. The valve in this pack is polyethylene, and it is recyclable, which is what lets us describe the whole pack as recyclable rather than most of the pack. Bottle, cap, valve, each with somewhere to go at the end. Any of the three can be specified with up to 100% postconsumer recycled content. We have completed an ARL PREP assessment on the unbranded pack, so producers have something to work from when they add their own labelling. Then we squeezed a great many bottles of honey in our own factory, looking for leaks through repeated opening and closing, checking the dispensing stayed accurate, checking the pack would empty properly at the end. On Tuesday evening, Adam Waldron, Bruce Langlands, Lachlan Holmes and Brendon Holmes went along to The Aviary for the announcement. We had entered two categories. We were listening for the pack’s name twice.
One trophy and two plaques, for a part most people will never see. Printed along the bottom of both plaques is a line about exclusive entry to the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards. That happens next year. Bruce spoke for the team on the night and is holding the trophy in most of the photographs below. Where the gold jacket came from is still a mystery. It turned up later in the evening. An award is a judgement made once. The pack gets judged again every morning, by somebody who opens it one-handed and gets exactly as much honey as they wanted on their toast. They will never know what it won, and they do not need to. The part we like best is the last squeeze. The one that still comes out clean.
It came up three times. The third was Silver for Accessible and Inclusive Packaging Design, a category we had not entered at all. We would like to say we designed the pack for accessibility. Not quite true. We designed it to dispense honey cleanly, and it turned out that a pack you can open, squeeze and close with one hand is a pack that suits somebody with a weak
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
RePlay™ Returnables Celebrates Outstanding Success at the 2026 PIDA Awards 30 July 2026 Three Gold Awards and One Silver Recognise Innovation in Reusable Packaging
Bonson Packaging is proud to announce that the RePlay ™ Returnable System has been recognised with an outstanding three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the 2026 Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDA). The winners were announced at the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards gala dinner at the Crown Aviary in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 28th of July 2026. Presented by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA Awards celebrate excellence in packaging design and innovation across Australia and New Zealand. The awards recognise packaging solutions that demonstrate outstanding design, sustainability, functionality and commercial success.
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The RePlay™ Returnable System received the following honours: • Gold – Sustainable Packaging Design (REUSE) • Gold – Marketing Design • Gold – Labelling & Decoration Design • Silver – Food Packaging Design These awards are a significant milestone for the RePlay™ Return project and reinforce the value of collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to reducing single-use packaging through practical, scalable reuse systems. A Proud Moment for Bonson Bonson Packaging CEO David Tsui said the awards are a testament to the dedication of everyone who has contributed to the RePlay™ Returnable System journey.
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards "Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the PIDA Awards is an outstanding achievement and one that everyone involved with the RePlay™ Returnable System should be immensely proud of. On behalf of Bonson Packaging, I would like to congratulate our RePlay team and all of our project partners whose expertise, passion and commitment have helped transform an ambitious idea into an awardwinning solution." "The RePlay™ Returnable System demonstrates what is possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose to create practical, sustainable change. While we're delighted to celebrate this recognition, what excites me even more is the future. This is just the beginning of the RePlay ™ Return story, and I look forward to seeing the programme continue to grow, welcome new partners, reach more communities and make an even greater contribution to New Zealand and Australia’s circular economy." A Win for Collaboration While Bonson is honoured to receive this recognition, the RePlay ™ Returnable System has always been much more than a single organisation's project. It has been built through the expertise, passion and commitment of an exceptional
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
group of partners, all working towards a common goal of advancing the circular economy. We would like to sincerely thank our partners: • Foodstuffs North Island Limited (particularly Debra Goulding, Sustainable Packaging Programme Manager). • N ew World Stores Birkenhead (Heidi Brittenden) & Willis St Metro (Mac Courtney). • Circularity (Louise Nash). • Again Again (Nada Piatek). • Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (formerly the Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao). • Anew® & Charopy Smart Bins • MCC Global IML (Michael Debono) • Blender. (Oliver McDermott) • Hula (Bree Asmus) Every organisation and individual has played an important role in helping bring RePlay ™ from concept to reality. Their knowledge, encouragement and willingness to collaborate have been instrumental in creating a reusable packaging system that is both practical and commercially viable. Recognising the Bonson Team These awards also belong to the many people across Bonson who have contributed their skills, creativity and determination throughout the project.
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Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards • From Bonson; Rodney Bennett, Glenn Drake, David McNickle, Irene Smith, Vanya Piacun, Andie Johnston (Flex Marketing). From research and product development to manufacturing, quality assurance, marketing, sales, logistics and customer support, RePlay™
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
food packaging. We look forward to continuing to work alongside our partners as we expand the programme and make reusable packaging more accessible across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond. To everyone who has supported RePlay ™
Return has been a genuine team effort. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when talented people work together with a shared vision.
Returnable System along the way; thank you. These awards are a shared achievement, and we couldn't be prouder of what we've accomplished together.
We are incredibly proud of everyone who has contributed to this achievement.
Replay™ Return a Returnable System by Bonson. More information: www.replayreturn.com
Thank You to the Australasian Institute of Packaging We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Nerida Kelton FAIP and the team at the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) for organising another exceptional Packaging Innovation & Design Awards programme. The PIDA Awards continue to showcase the very best packaging innovation across Australasia while encouraging businesses to push the boundaries of sustainability, design and packaging performance.
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System is helping shape the future of sustainable
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The recognition from the PIDA Awards provides further confidence that the RePlay™ Returnable
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As more businesses, retailers and consumers look for practical ways to reduce waste and embrace circular solutions, we believe reusable packaging has an increasingly important role to play.
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Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award is a tremendous honour, but it is only one milestone in the RePlay™ Return journey.
MARKETING FINALIST
RePlay Returnable System
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Looking Ahead
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• Reusable & Resealable delicatessen takeaway container. • Square shape optimises space efficiencies. • Leak-resistant lid provides the reassuring audible 'click' sound when sealed. • Injection moulded food grade/FDA approved PP. • Dishwasher IML to withstand multiple washing & sanitising cycles. • Each IML has a unique QR code to track each container by size in real-time throughout the RePlay borrow & return cycle.
ANZ AWARDS PROGRAM
POWERED BY
INTERNATIONALLY ENDORSED BY
2026 PIDA FINALISTS
EXCLUSIVE ENTRY TO
Winners announced for the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
2026 ABA Scholarships open the door for two packaging professionals Two packaging professionals have been awarded fully funded places in the Australasian Institute of Packaging’s (AIP) formal packaging qualification programs, through the 2026 ABA Scholarships — an AIP program sponsored by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA). Andrew Rennie AAIP, Sales Representative at Oji Fibre Solutions in New Zealand, has been awarded a scholarship for the Certificate in Packaging. Ola Wicik AAIP, Packaging Engineer at Opal Fibre Packaging Australia, has been awarded a scholarship for the Diploma in Packaging Technology. Both were announced at the gala Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards ceremony, run by the AIP alongside foodpro on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 at the Aviary, Crown Complex, Melbourne. The winners receive scholarships to cover the full cost of these internationally recognised packaging qualifications, delivered in Australasia by the AIP. The Certificate in Packaging provides a grounding in packaging materials, functions, processes and supply chain — suitable for those moving into a packaging-focused role or broadening an adjacent one. The Diploma in Packaging Technology is the more advanced qualification, covering packaging design, materials science, machinery, legislation, environmental considerations and packaging management. ABA CEO Martine Poulain said the scholarships are a practical way to lift capability across the sector.
A ndrew Rennie and Ola Wicik win fully funded places in formal packaging qualifications, announced at the 2026 PIDA Awards in Melbourne.
“The shift to more sustainable packaging doesn’t happen through materials alone — it happens through people who understand how those materials behave, how they’re processed and how they’re managed at end of life,” Poulain said. “Andrew and Ola are both thoroughly deserving, and what they learn will go straight back into their work. Giving two capable people a real opportunity each year is one of the most useful things we can do for the industry, and it’s a privilege to be part of it.” Applications for the 2027 ABA Scholarships will open with the next round of PIDA Award entries through the AIP.
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The AIP would like to thank our Platinum Plus Partner
for their support during all the foodpro & AIP events. AIP Packaging Forums
AIP PIDA showcase
2026 PIDA Awards dinner
Treasure Hunt
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AIP stand
AIP training courses
foodpro Walking Tour
Student Tours
VISIT the PIDA Awards website
FOLLOW the PIDA Awards on Linked In
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