German Packaging Award: Winners push functionality and sustainability

Category: Digitalization

Solution: CIRCULAR ERP

Company: Sykell GmbH

The cloud-based software model is specially developed to manage deposit and returnable systems, contributing to circular economy.

A wide range of primary and secondary packaging such as bottles, molded trays or any other container can be mapped. The software integrates a range of third-party providers such as logistics partners and cleaning companies to enable efficient operations throughout the supply chain.

Category: Functionality & Convenience

Solution: Ophthalmic plus bottle

Company: PACKSYS GmbH

The eye drop bottle with innovative bellows at the bottom of the bottle allows easy and uniform droplet application, especially for seniors who find conventional bottles difficult to squeeze.

Category: Logistics & Material Flow

Solution: Stretch hood with LDPE PCR

Company: Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH, Nestlé Deutschland AG and DUO PLAST AG

The stretch hood is made of 30% LDPE post-consumer-recycled material (PCR), in which 13.2% of the material comes from recyclates from plastic recycling bin.

It can be used for transport and load securing for all common pallet formats, future-proof for the requirements of the PPWR – EU Packaging Regulation (Art. 7).

Category: Sustainability in overall concept

Solution: NextGen PCR plastic tube

Company: LINHARDT & Co. GmbH

The tube and cap is made of 100% PCR HDPE and LLDPE. The mono-material feature allows complete recyclability and to close material cycle.

Category: Sustainability in overall concept

Solution: sanstrap re – recycled stretch band

Company: Sanpack GmbH

The recycled plastic stretch band consists of 30% PCR and is fully recyclable PE film. It contributes to CO2 savings, reduces raw material consumption and closes the material cycle.

Category: Sustainability in overall concept

Solution: Toilet paper packaging made of wild plastic

Company: WILDPLASTIC GmbH, Goldeimer gGmbH, WEPA

The toilet paper packaging consists of 50% wildplastic. “Wild plastic” is outside the recycling cycle and is collected for packaging production, which helps reduce plastic in the environment and returns it to the cycled.

The recycled plastic complies with Europe and German hygiene and safety standards for hygienic packaging and can be processed in the production partners’ state-of-the-art machines.

Category: Sustainability in overall concept

Solution: ReZorce Circular Packaging

Company: Zotefoams plc

The packaging consists of 100% recycled HDPE. A patented technology enables a layer to be applied during extrusion. The layer provides barrier properties and even allows the use of 30-70% mechanically recycled HDPE.

HDPE packaging has been proven to reduce environmental impacts such as water and energy consumption by around 50% compared to conventional composite beverage cartons.

Category: Sustainability in use of recycled material

Solution: Cleaning cloth packaging made of recycled beverage carton

Company: Saperatec GmbH, Dr. Schumacher GmbH

This flexible packaging is made of rLDPE from rejects in beverage carton recycling. It represents application of rLDPE outside the established film stream from plastic recycling bin.

Category: Sustainability in recyclability

Solution: PureWrap PP

Company: LEEB GmbH & Co. KG. Dr Julia Eberhardt

The pure PP wrapper is designed to be used as cheese wrapper. The mono-material packaging consists of an outer layer and a specially woven PP. This fleece-like layer forms an air cushion to allow the cheese to continue maturing naturally.

Category: Sustainability in recyclability

Solution: FlexPod

Company: Wipak Walsrode GmbH

The alternative yoghurt pot is made from either PP or PE. Both material can be safely and definitively sorted and recycled throughout Europe. This eliminates the need to separate individual yoghurt pot components.