Big winners include groundbreakers such as Exal’s coil-to-can technology, Coke’s PlantBottle, the compostable SunChips bag, and Entropy Solutions’ Greenbox.

DuPont announced the winners of its 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation during a unique, global Webcast on May 25—the DuPont Packaging Exchange—that featured live perspectives from both competition judges and winners. This year, the DuPont Awards focused on the essential elements needed to drive breakthroughs in packaging. Innovative new developments, along with cost/waste reduction and improved sustainability were the criteria.

Said jury leader John Bernardo, president of Sustainable Innovations, “Sustainable packaging is gaining momentum. This year’s winners represent impressive strides in improved sustainability.”

Thirteen packages were chosen from among 160 entries to receive a Silver, Gold, or Diamond award. “These winners demonstrate that collaborative innovation has no boundaries. It crosses disciplines, markets, and geographies,” said William J. Harvey, president of DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. “The collective ingenuity of these business partnerships has yielded innovative new solutions that address pressing consumer needs.”

Diamond winners:
 New Technology for aluminum bottles from Exal Corp. and Alcoa Rigid Packaging – USA

 Greenbox packaging system for safer transport of medical supplies from Entropy Solutions, Inc. - USA

Gold winners:
 Frito-Lay’s SunChips fully compostable snack bag from Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo – USA

 The PlantBottle from The Coca Cola Company – USA, Canada, Denmark, Japan, and Brazil; Imperial College, London; Michigan State University – USA (Gold)

 New Design for Fresh Step Cat Litter from Clorox and Nordenia – USA

 EZ Fusion two-in-one vial anti-counterfeiting solution for ethical pharmaceuticals users from Degill International Corp., Metal Industries R&D Center – Taiwan; Grand Medical Group – USA

 Packaging and machinery redesign for Always Feminine Products from Procter & Gamble (P&G) – USA and Germany

Silver winners:
 Scope “Outlast” mouthwash from Procter & Gamble, Alpla, Tech Group, and Webb deVlam Industrial Designers – USA

 Single-serve glass/bottle for Copa di Vino, from Quart Vin, Resilux America LLC - USA and France

 Ethafoam® HRC plank transport packing manufactured by Sealed Air and fabricated by Austin Foam Plastics (AFP) – USA

 Cryovac Mirabella® Modified Atmosphere Packaging for meats from Sealed Air – Italy

 Grip & Tear bag from Sealed Air’s Cryovac Food Packaging Unit – USA (Silver)

 ConAgra Foods’ Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers single-serve meal packaging from Berry Plastics, ConAgra, Rexam, and IDEO – USA (Silver)

Complete details of the award winners will be available online and in print with the publication of the June issue of Packaging World magazine.