Dow has announced the winners of the 2020 Packaging Innovation Awards recognizing breakthrough packaging achievements in design, technology, sustainability and user experience.

The highest honor, the Diamond Award, went to Henkel AG & Co KGaA’s Social Plastic Ecosystem in collaboration with Plastic Bank. To create a new line of sustainable cosmetic packaging, Henkel conducted a pilot program that utilized recycled materials from Plastic Bank, a social enterprise which aims to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean and provide economic opportunities for people in extreme poverty. Since its launch in 2018, Henkel has produced and sold 25,000 bottles made from recycled plastic across Western Europe.

“I am especially inspired by this year’s Packaging Innovation Awards winners because of the industry’s continued focus on innovation and sustainability, despite the difficult global conditions caused by the pandemic,” said Diego Donoso, business president for Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The entry and judging processes were fully virtual this year for the first time, and it still produced strong competition with rigorous judging to recognize the top innovations.”

The judges evaluated more than 175 entries from companies around the globe. Entries ranged from personal care and health and hygiene, to food and beverage and industrial innovations. In addition to the Diamond Award, the judges also selected three Diamond Finalists, six Gold Award Winners, five Silver Award Winners, two Honorable Mentions for Emerging Applications and one Honorable Mention for Advancements in Industrial Distribution systems.

“I’ve been a judge in the Packaging Innovation Awards for many years, and this one presented a unique challenge in the way it was structured,” said lead judge David Luttenberger, global packaging director for Mintel Group, Ltd. “Despite the challenging circumstances, the participants delivered the same quality of innovations as in previous years.”

The 2020 Packaging Innovation Awards hosted by Dow is now in its 32^nd year and is the industry’s longest running, independently judged packaging awards program. The judging panel consists of professionals from around the world in a wide range of fields, including design, engineering, retail, converting and academia.

The full list of winners includes:

Diamond Winner

• Henkel AG & Co KGaA in collaboration with Plastic Bank, Social Plastic Ecosystem

Diamond Finalists

• Zacros in collaboration with The Procter & Gamble Company of Japan Limited, ARIEL PLATINUM SPORTS Refill Pouch
• Alico, Metal-Free Recyclable Coffee Packaging
• Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. in collaboration with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, New Thin Film Deposition Technology for PET Bottles Using Hot-Wire CVD Device

Gold Award Winners

• CJ CHEILJEDANG, Kimchi Easy Carry Pouch
• Packaging Industries Limited in collaboration with Policy and Market Options and SNV Netherlands Development Organization, Mama Silage Bag
• ProAmpac in collaboration with L’Oréal, Maybelline FitMe® Matte + Poreless Foundation
• Danone in collaboration with Goplas, Mexico Yoghurt Cup
• Parnaplast in collaboration with Interpack Packaging Solutions, Oxi-free High Barrier Green Grain Coffee Packaging
• Reckitt Benckiser Brazil in collaboration with Guala Dispensing, Narita Design, Logoplaste Brasil, Alpla and Flexoprint Labels, Veja Specialists Redesign

Silver Award Winners

• Natura in collaboration with Silgan, IFF, Wheaton, Grupo Pochet do Brasil, Inobi and Kawagraf, Ekos Alma - new Natura fragrance
• Flexinnova kft in collaboration with Foltrade kft, GripTop antislip bag
• Sunrise Packaging Material (Jiangyin) Co., Ltd in collaboration with Guangdong Wuqiong Food Co., Ltd, High barrier, retort and easy-peel packaging for Chinese style spiced corned egg
• Amcor, Matrix -paper-based recyclable cheese wrap
• UPM Raflatac in collaboration with UPM Biofuels and Vellamo® - Ice Age Water Ltd, UPM Raflatac Forest Film™

Emerging Category Honorable Mention

• Calyx Containers, Calyx Concentrate Container
• Grove Bags, Grove Bags Terploc® Film

Advancement in Industrial Distribution Systems Honorable Mention

• Mauser Packaging Solutions in collaboration with Strauch GmbH, DrumGuard® - Sustainable Load Securing System for Drums on Pallets

A replay of the live awards ceremony can be found here. For more information and images of each winning entry, please visit www.DowPackagingAwards.com.