This year, The Hive Awards – run by PKN’s stablemate Food & Drink Business – attracted some exceptional solutions-driven entries in the Best Packaging category, each with a strong focus on environmental responsibility. We take a closer look at this year’s finalists.
Winners will be announced at The Hive Awards Luncheon in Sydney on 8 May, you can find out more, and book tickets here.
The Hive Awards 2025: Best Packaging Finalists (listed alphabetically by entrant name)
Allied Beverages: The Sydney Shaker
The Sydney Shaker by Allied Beverages is a reusable cocktail shaker and vessel designed to deliver perfectly mixed, pre-batched cocktails with the simple addition of ice. This convenient solution brings the bar experience into consumers’ homes — no need for full bottles or DIY mixology — while ensuring quality and consistency with every serve.
At the heart of this innovation is a multi-use container made entirely from 100% recycled polypropylene. Chosen for its durability, recyclability and compatibility with acidic ingredients like fresh juice, polypropylene also makes the shaker dishwasher safe, appealing to sustainability-minded consumers. Unlike traditional aluminium cans, which can corrode when filled with citrus or other fresh juices, this material allows for cleaner, fresher flavour delivery.
The design cleverly separates the 187ml cocktail into two compartments to achieve the ideal ice-to-liquid ratio and ensure a consistent pour. Overcoming the challenge of combining a leak-proof seal with shelf-stable liquid storage, Allied Beverages engineered a shaker that functions both as packaging and drinkware. The result is a practical, attractive, and eco-conscious product fit for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings.
Affordability was another key design factor. By utilising an injection moulding process, the team ensured the vessel could be produced at a competitive shelf price point, making premium cocktails more accessible.
With The Sydney Shaker, Allied Beverages delivers fresh, preservative-free cocktails in a sustainable, user-friendly format that aligns with consumer demand for convenience, experience, and environmental responsibility.
Chobani Australia: Gippsland Dairy Crafted 100% PET Yoghurt Pot
Chobani Australia has introduced a premium, fully recyclable packaging solution for its Gippsland Dairy Crafted 150g yoghurt range, setting a new standard in the dairy category by combining indulgent presentation with sustainability.
The pack features a crystal-clear PET pot that delivers a glass-like appearance, offering consumers a view of the rich, layered yoghurt and fruit compote within. This visibility enhances appetite appeal and product perception. Embossed branding on the pot reinforces Gippsland Dairy’s artisanal identity, adding a tactile element that elevates the consumer experience.
The packaging format includes a heat-sealed aluminium foil lid to ensure product freshness, and a kraft paperboard sleeve printed with soy-based ink – an environmentally conscious choice that reduces VOC emissions and aligns with sustainable design principles. The inclusion of the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) guides consumers on correct disposal, with all components – the PET pot, foil lid, and paperboard sleeve – designed to be 100% recyclable in Australia.
Retail practicality has also been considered. The shelf-ready packaging (SRP) is designed for easy opening, aiding shelf presentation and improving efficiency for retailers. Transport trials have confirmed the integrity of the packaging throughout the supply chain, helping to reduce breakage and wastage.
Developed in line with the APCO Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, this pack demonstrates how thoughtful design can merge functionality, sustainability, and premium aesthetics. Chobani’s commitment to innovation is evident in every detail, creating an immersive consumer experience from shelf to spoon, while supporting recycling behaviour and environmental goals.
Close the Loop: Silver Seas Prawn Stock Pouch
Close the Loop has developed a fully recyclable, mono-material retort pouch for seafood producer Silver Seas’ innovative prawn stock product, made from prawn shell food waste. Designed to be shelf-stable at ambient temperatures and with a long shelf life, the pouch eliminates the need for cold chain logistics, allowing global distribution with reduced carbon footprint and optimised palletisation.
Crucial to the packaging design was the need to meet both current and future global regulations. The pouch aligns with CEFLEX and APCO design standards, and features the ARL (Check Locally) to guide consumers on proper disposal, with ongoing updates planned as recycling capabilities evolve. It uses a tailored three-layer polypropylene (PP) construction to withstand retort temperatures of 122°C without compromising product integrity or recyclability, removing materials like SiOxPET and Nylon typically seen as contaminants in soft plastics recycling streams.
Silver Seas also required scalability in packaging volumes and compatibility with existing packing equipment. The pouch delivers the highest product-to-pack ratio when compared to rigid alternatives like glass or cartons, offering superior sustainability, ease of transport, and consumer convenience.
The development was supported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the University of Wollongong. Silver Seas’ commitment to sustainability is further reinforced through its Project Give Back initiative, which donates a portion of sales profits to supporting the local seafood industry, promoted via a QR code on-pack.
This packaging solution not only delivers on technical performance, recyclability, and retail appeal, but also reflects the values of a small, sustainability-driven business bringing a unique, circular product to a growing eco-conscious market.
Grove Juice: Beauty Meets Accessibility
Grove Juice has successfully fused heritage storytelling with contemporary functionality in a packaging redesign that is both emotionally resonant and practically effective. The new pack design captures the brand’s values – family, authenticity, and community – through custom illustrations featuring three generations of the Estens family alongside their beloved dogs, Wally and Bugs.
A stamp of provenance highlights the location of the company’s groves, reinforcing Grove Juice’s commitment to quality and local sourcing. The logo itself carries a thoughtful design touch – the ‘R’ wraps around the ‘O’ to symbolise an orange – subtly reinforcing brand identity. Detailed botanical illustrations by artist Phillip Small provide a wallpaper-style backdrop, creating strong shelf presence and visual appeal.
Accessibility has also been a key focus. The bottle features an ergonomic grip and a chunky, easy-to-open lid with ridged neck design – ensuring usability for a broad consumer base, including individuals with reduced hand mobility. This inclusive design has been met with praise from consumers who value both form and function.
Sustainability has not been overlooked. The packaging incorporates recyclable materials and avoids excess plastic reinforcement, supporting responsible disposal. Its robust construction prevents leakage and damage in transit, helping to reduce product wastage.
Consumer feedback further validates the design approach. From being repurposed as spice jars to meeting the practical needs of elderly Australians and manual workers, the packaging resonates on a personal level.
By prioritising storytelling, accessibility, and environmental responsibility, Grove Juice has developed a packaging solution that stands out in the beverage aisle – elevating the brand while supporting a more inclusive and sustainable packaging lifecycle.
MeAgain: MeAgain Reusable Packaging
MeAgain has developed an innovative, closed-loop reusable packaging system that significantly reduces waste, maximises resource efficiency, and champions circularity in packaging.
At the core of the solution is a pooling system of durable, food-safe boxes circulated between suppliers, retailers, and consumers. After use, customers return the packaging via designated drop points, where it is sanitised and redistributed for multiple reuse cycles. Unlike traditional single-use formats, MeAgain’s model keeps packaging in circulation for as long as possible.
Once a box reaches the end of its life, it is granulated and remanufactured into new packaging – achieving a truly waste-free closed loop. Constructed from high-quality post-consumer recycled materials, the boxes are mono-material or designed for easy separation, simplifying end-of-life processing.
Smart tracking is enabled through RFID and QR code technology, allowing real-time monitoring of packaging use, return logistics, and environmental impact. Consumers benefit from clear storage guidance and expiry tracking via QR codes, helping reduce food spoilage and improve usability.
Sustainability benefits are measurable and compelling. Barrier-enhanced recycled materials extend product shelf life by protecting contents from moisture, oxygen, and contaminants. Life cycle assessments show a 40–60% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to single-use alternatives, thanks to reduced plastic waste and lower energy inputs across the system.
Each MeAgain box is built for more than 50 reuse cycles – replacing the equivalent number of single-use packs – with over 95% of end-of-life materials recovered and reused in new production runs. Integration with retail partners ensures consumer convenience, while impact tracking tools promote engagement and behavioural change.
MeAgain’s model proves that sustainability, performance, and convenience can coexist – setting a new benchmark for circular packaging innovation.
Zipform Packaging: Carman’s Rigid Fibre Snack Pack
In a market first, Carman’s has adopted a rigid linear-formed fibre pack developed by Zipform Packaging for its snack mix range – an innovative move away from traditional plastic tubs and flexible packaging. The 73mm diameter pack is designed for convenience, fitting neatly in car consoles or pantry shelves, while aligning with Carman’s premium brand image and sustainability goals.
This pack is produced at Zipform's Melbourne factory, using specialised linear forming technology, with only two other lines of its kind globally. The process combines four fibre layers bonded with water-based glue. The outer printed layer eliminates the need for separate labelling, while the body is ultrasonically welded and finished with a paper base that is induction sealed for a hermetic, food-safe closure.
The structure comprises more than 90% fibre, including over 60% locally sourced post-consumer recycled content. The pack has been independently assessed as kerbside recyclable through the APCO PREP tool and confirmed pulpable by Opal, with exemptions issued to support national recyclability claims. The use of post-consumer recycled paperboard supports circularity, without compromising strength or performance.
A clear PET overcap and peelable sealing membrane complete the pack, offering excellent oxygen and moisture barriers for shelf stability, and consumer-friendly opening without the need for tools. The lidding film is compatible with industry-standard heat sealing processes and mirrors formats familiar in the ready meal and dairy sectors.
This innovation delivers strong environmental credentials and meets all 10 Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPGs), making it a standout solution for brands seeking functionality, recyclability, and standout shelf appeal in a fibre-based format.
