The Pentawards' annual competition, dedicated to recognizing global packaging design excellence across all categories, has revealed its 2025 shortlist — and it shows that sustainability is no longer a specialist concern but the baseline for great packaging design.

Sustainable Design entries rose nearly 10% year-on-year, with sustainability being incorporated across virtually every category—from beauty and beverages to student-led work and professional concepts.

The most shortlisted categories—Beverages, Food, Body, Health & Beauty—all featured projects that integrated sustainability not as a bolt-on, but as a central design principle. Whether through material reduction, regenerative packaging systems, or circular storytelling, the work reflects a maturing industry-wide shift.

Notably, categories such as Body & Beauty and Student Work experienced some of the sharpest growth. Together, they suggest that sustainable innovation is being driven by both market leaders and emerging talent, from biomaterial refills and low-impact unboxing to speculative concepts that rethink the entire lifecycle of packaging.

From recycled glass spirits bottles to biomaterial skincare refills, form and conscience are no longer mutually exclusive. In a year where regulatory demands are tightening and consumers are scrutinizing more than just aesthetics, these sectors are redefining what responsible packaging can look and feel like. 

Drinks brands are leading the charge in sustainability-led creativity  

Pentawards’ global packaging competition saw beverages dominate once again—making up 30% of all entries and leading the shortlist ahead of Food, Beauty, and even the dedicated Sustainability category. Subcategories like Dark Spirits and Wine Collections stood out for fusing eco-innovation with bold visual storytelling, while Sustainable Design entries rose nearly 10%, driven largely by drinks. 

Entries showcasing plant-based bottles, recycled aluminium wine formats, dry-molded fiber tech, and biodegradable foams. From Johnnie Walker’s world-first ultra-light glass bottle to Roam’s carbonating refill system, sustainability is no longer just ethical — it has become premium, experiential and brand-defining.

From lipstick to LEGO, the best designs think beyond the bin

LEGO’s Pick a Brick ditched single-use plastic entirely in favor of modular cardboard boxes that mirror its iconic bricks. Meta’s Quest 3S VR headset packaging combined FSC-certified kraft with clever unboxing mechanics and reusable trays. Hatice Schmidt’s refillable lipstick, by Established, transformed sustainable beauty into a timeless object, crafted from solid aluminium with no plastic parts. And BOTITO by Tridimage, a toy made from post-consumer pulp, transformed packaging into an educational tool for the environment. 

Head of Pentawards Adam Ryan says: “The data tells a clear story: sustainability is no longer a niche category—it’s becoming the creative standard across packaging design. Whether it’s redesigning icons or reimagining new formats, the most compelling work this year put environmental responsibility at the core of visual storytelling. These aren’t just aesthetic triumphs but designs that reflect a shift in consumer values and a redefinition of what premium means in a climate-conscious world.”

The rest of the shortlist can be found here, with winners being announced at the Pentawards Gala Ceremony, De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, on October 4, 2025.