Future’s bright for the packaging industry: Pro2Pac student prize packed with innovation
The UK’s only exhibition dedicated to the food processing and packaging industry, ExCeL London, 17 – 20 March 2013
Portion control and sustainability might be packaging industry’s key focus points for the future, judging by the innovative pack solutions submitted in a brand new student design competition organised by theUK’s only processing and packaging event dedicated to the food sector, Pro2Pac.
Premium pasta packaging with serving sizes built into the lid, an easily re-sealable tube-shaped rice pack offering portion control benefits and a container for snack food made entirely from natural materials were just some of the innovative solutions entered into the packaging prize.
Corners of the Globe, a pyramid-shaped spice container designed by Leeds Met student Amy Prendergast, was declared overall winner, scoring highly across all assessed criteria, including recyclability, cost, consumer insight, convenience, display and innovation.
Judges recognised the design as a clear winner from concept to branding, with the pyramid shape linking the product with the Ancient Egyptian origins of the spice trade, as well as representing a creative alternative to traditional spice containers and offering on-shelf cut-through. As winner, Amy’s design talent will be showcased before an audience of leading professionals at Pro2Pac, which will feature a prototype of her design when it takes place from 17-20 March at ExCeL London. She also receives £500, the chance to gain valuable experience during an internship at Miller Graphics and a student membership to theInstituteofPackaging Professionals(IoPP).
Other shortlisted entries included ‘Snacks in a Nutshell’, a completely compostable snack container made using a coconut shell sealed with a banana leaf; ‘Oli’s Olive Oil’, a 100% biodegradable product using olive oil waste water to make the biopolymer; and Novel-T, a sustainable solution for loose leaf tea using biodegradable paper and stainless steel.
Students from Leeds Metropolitan and Sheffield Hallam were invited to take part in the competition, which was judged by leading industry experts, including representatives from Miller Graphics, the Faraday Centre for Retail Excellence and the IoPP. The ten shortlisted designs can be viewed at the Pro2Pac design gallery on stand S2319.
“We wanted our packaging prize to give the industry a glimpse into what the future might hold, as well as inspiring up-and-coming talent to engage with the food and drink industry’s biggest issues and trends,” said Pro2Pac Event Director Chris McCuin.
“The consistently high standard of entries we received bodes well for the future of the industry and suggests the next generation of packaging professionals will play an important role in tackling key issues around sustainability and consumer convenience.”
