The second-annual Greener Package Awards competition recognizes innovations in five categories that significantly reduce packaging’s environmental footprint.

[13]Five categories, 21 judges, and 98 entries: This year’s Greener Package Awards competition—sponsored by Summit Publishing’s GreenerPackage.com—represents an incredible investment of resources by consumer packaged goods companies, suppliers, and individuals to move the packaging community toward greater sustainability. The eight winners, selected by members of the Greener Package Expert Network, [14] demonstrate that sustainability can be found in a myriad of technologies and materials; there is no one right answer.

The event’s increased number of entrants—there were 57% more than in 2009 [15]—also shows that innovation around sustainability continues at a fast pace, providing many companies with a pretty positive economic payback during these dismal financial times. As Mark Mathes, owner and CEO of Vanguard Packaging, the Innovator of the Year Award winner, says, “If you take sustainability projects seriously and implement them, if you do the right things, they are proven to go to the bottom line.”

The 2010 Greener Package Awards winners are:

Innovator of the Year:
Vanguard Packaging [16]—Green subterranean manufacturing facility

Food & Pharmaceutical Packaging:
The Coca-Cola Co. [17]—PlantBottle™ 30% plant-based PET bottle
KFC Corp. [18]—Reusable KFC Sides Container

Personal Care/Cosmetics Packaging:
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare [19]—Aquafresh White & Shine toothpaste carton with HoloBrite™ filmless holographic technology

Non-Food Primary Packaging:
Ball Horticultural Co. [20]—SoilWrap® bio-based, compostable plant container
Household Essentials LLC [21]—Ironing Board Cover & Pad (with Packaging Pouch)

Secondary/Large-Format Packaging:
Bway Corp. [22]—Eco-Pail™ recycled-content, recyclable HDPE pail
Cryopak Industries, Inc. [23]—TimeSaver72 insulated shipper for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products

Beyond the Package Award:
Vanguard Packaging [16]—Green subterranean manufacturing facility

Expert Network conducts judging
Critical to the credibility of the awards program, the Greener Package Expert Network—comprising packaging experts from across the value chain—designed the competition with categories and criteria specifically and uniquely suited to packaging sustainability.

This year’s judges included the following:

Alexandros Astropekakis, [24] Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Lisa Baer, [25] Baer Design Group
Dean Bellefleur*, [26] D-idea
John Bernardo, [27] Sustainable Innovations LLC
Timothy Bohrer*, [28] Pac Advantage Consulting, LLC
Malcolm Cohn*, [29] Accredo Packaging, Inc.
M. Scott Carpenter, [30] SC Johnson
John Delfausse, [31] EstÈe Lauder
Jack DiMartino, [32] Stonyfield Farms
George D’Urso*, Smurfit Stone Container Corp.
Scott Dyvig, [33] Sears Brand LLC
Suzanne Fisher, [34] Pratt Industries
Cynthia Forsch, [35] Eco-Logic Strategies
Humberto Garcia, [36] Unilever
Eric Hartman, [37] Product Ventures
Deanna Jacobs, [38] Rochester Institute of Technology
Michael Larocca*, [39] GlaxoSmithKline
Sharon Reiter Lindberg, [40] Unilever
Pamela Long, [41] Little Big Brands
David Padula, [42] P. Design Lab
Adam Pawlick**, [43] Palermo’s Pizza
Frank Perkowski, [44] Business Development Advisory
Diana Ramos, [45] Walmart
Chet Rutledge, [46] Walmart
Sean Sabre*, [47] ModusLink
Barry Sanel, [48] Barry Sanel Packaging Advisors
Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar, Sam’s Club

* Member of the Greener Package Awards Executive Committee
** Chairperson of the Greener Package Awards Executive Committee

All Greener Package Awards winners will be exhibited in the The Showcase of Packaging Innovations® at Pack Expo International 2010 [49] from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.