The increasing use of Smart Packaging technologies to improve the re-use and recycling of packaging is gaining more recognition in this year’s Sustainability Awards, which will be co-located with the 2023 AIPIA World Congress in Amsterdam, this November (14th & 15th), as part of the Sustainable Packaging Summit.
The competition has already included an Award in its ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT categories, this is now being expanded to include not only products in the pre-commercial stage, but also commercialized innovations already in use. Submissions in these categories should be smart packaging innovations, such as active coatings and communicative packaging technologies, that deliver positive environmental impacts.
Packaging Europe, the competition’s organiser, believes that packaging waste, the climate crisis, and other environmental challenges demand an urgent and joined-up response from consumer goods and the wider packaging value chain. The Sustainability Awards sets the agenda on best practice, turns the spotlight on the most important areas of R&D and helps separate greenwash from the innovations that make a genuine difference.
“Since its inception, the initiative has not only exponentially grown, but continually evolved its criteria and categories in order to better reflect the innovation landscape and the sustainability demands that industry needs to meet,” said Packaging Europe’s brand director, Tim Sykes.
“So extending the ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT category makes total sense as the Smart Packaging sector brings more and more products to the market which have a direct impact on Sustainability.”
The Sustainability Awards is free to enter, and open to all kinds of organisations throughout the packaging value chain and beyond – from start-ups to global brands and universities to manufacturers.
It emphasizes the importance of holistic and substantive impacts, and watches out for unintended consequences. “Though it is organized by Packaging Europe, the Sustainability Awards is independently judged by a diverse, international jury of experts, with zero input from the organizers,” explained Sykes.
Commenting on the expanded ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT category, AIPIA’s managing director, Eef de Ferrante, said: “This is a great opportunity to highlight how Smart Packaging is becoming part of the solution to a greener planet, rather than an obstacle. The use of new, recyclable materials, connected packaging’s messaging potential, and the numerous active and condition monitoring products helping to save food and pharmaceutical waste – it’s not just about the packaging waste – are all prime candidates for entry. We urge any member with relevant products to fill in an entry today, whether it is already on the market, or under development.”
Entries to the Sustainability Awards can be made via the submissions platform. The simple entry process starts by clicking the link below, registering, and filling in the entry form. More details of the Sustainability Awards calendar and competition categories and the competition rules and guidelines can also be found there.
The deadline for making a Submission to this year’s Awards is the 17th of March 2023, and this is not likely to be extended as the volume of entries is always high. Click here to learn more.
This article was created in collaboration with AIPIA (the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association). Packaging Europe and AIPIA are joining forces to bring news and commentary about the active and intelligent packaging landscape to a larger audience. To learn more about this partnership, click here.
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