The final cut: Who are the top contenders for PIDA 2024?

EXCLUSIVE: The Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards is back bigger than ever, with a record-breaking number of entries this year presenting the judges with a formidable task to select the finalists. Awards in 15 categories are up for grabs, with close on 50 innovations in the running in the packaging sector awards, and 20 outstanding individuals in the packaging professional and scholarship awards. Sustainable Packaging Design attracted the most entries, and the top scoring finalist is Caps & Closures, in the running for seven awards.

[Scroll through our gallery above to take a closer look at the innovations and people who have been selected as finalists.]

The PIDA Awards are designed to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand. Every year as these awards roll around, it becomes increasingly clear that the ANZ region is delivering above and beyond when it comes to packaging innovation and design, and as long-standing coordinator of the awards, AIP is making a significant contribution to putting the local industry on the global map.

Award winners in select categories in the 2024 round are eligible for entry into the prestigious 2025 WorldStar Packaging Awards competition run by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). The PIDA awards is the exclusive feeder program for ANZ for the WorldStars and in recent years this region has punched well above its weight, regularly placing in the Top 3 spots ahead of many major markets.

PIDA CATEGORIES

The Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year company awards recognise organisations that have designed innovative packaging within six categories: Food Packaging Design; Beverage Packaging Design; Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging; Domestic & Household Packaging; Labelling & Decoration; Outside of the Box.

As usual for the PIDAs, there are also four special awards available: Marketing Design; Accessible & Inclusive Design; Save Food Packaging Design; and Sustainable Packaging Design.

And finally, there is a new category added into the individual people categories, of which there are now five available: Industry Packaging Professional of the Year; Young Packaging Professional of the Year; ABA Scholarship – Diploma in Packaging Technology; ABA Scholarship – Certificate in Packaging; and the newest addition, Packaging Technologist of the Year.

PKN and Food & Drink Business, the exclusive media partners for the PIDA Awards, have packaged up the full list of finalists for you below:

Food Packaging Design

The Food Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials within food packaging and processing including fresh, frozen or other. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• Amorette Premium Mandarins Paper Bag: Costa Group & The Packaging Hippie
• Bars To Paper Wrap: Mars Wrigley Australia
• Deli Cuts: Don Smallgoods
• Gippsland Dairy Twist Yoghurt 160g: Chobani
• Koor: koor by Jean-Francois Roiron
• Masterfoods Squeezy PET Sauce bottles: Wellman Packaging & Mars Food
• Prime100 pet food in Tetra Recart: Tetra Pak
• Woolworths Pad-free rPET Trays with 'Leave Attached' Film for kerbside recycling: Pact Group, Woolworths & Hilton Foods

Beverage Packaging Design

The Beverage Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials within packaging and processing for liquid or dry tea, coffee, water and soft drinks including wine, beer and spirits. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• 

  Aqueous Ripple Paper Coffee Cup - Truly Eco: Pinnacle Packaging
• Elephant in the Room 1.5L Bagnum Range: Fourth Wave Wine & Auspouch
• Fleurieu Milk Company - Refillable Glass Bottle: Cutler Brands
• Integrally Moulded Handle Bottle: Integrated Plastics
• Plastic-Free Plant Fibre Sipper Lid & Reclosable Lid: BioPak
• Starward Nova: Starward
• Thermocup: Wellman Packaging

Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design

The Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials within cosmetics, toiletries, personal hygiene, supplements, vitamins, perfumes, hair body and oral care. This award also covers packaging of all medicines including over the counter medicines, medical equipment packaging. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• 

  100% Paper Sachet for BrocShot: Close the Loop
• Ezylug + Coconut Oil: Melrose & Caps and Closures
• Ezypour + Refill: Thankyou & Caps and Closures
• Only Good Hand & Body Wash: Apex Brands

Domestic & Household Packaging Design

The Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year award recognises organisations that have designed innovative packaging and/or materials within domestic and household items, toys, stationary, gifts, clothing, garden equipment, decorating. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• EzyLug + Coconut Oil: Melrose & Caps and Closures
• Ezypour + Refill: Thankyou & Caps and Closures
• Frankie & Friends: Platypus Print Packaging
• Green Action Dishwashing Liquid 500ml: TrendPac
• Koor: koor by Jean-Francois Roiron
• rPet Bottles Balnea Body Wash & Shine Dishwashing Liquid: Woolworths FCR
• Whistler - Avian Intelligence Birdfood Range for Fibrecycle: Zipform Packaging
• Zero Triple Strike Garden Weedkiller Concentrate: Yates

Labelling & Decoration Design

The Labelling & Decoration Design of the Year award is designed to recognise the addition of content to a pack which creates a unique or innovative appearance, function or communication. This may include labels, sleeves, tags, coding/markings, etching, directly applied inks or by any other similar process. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• A’kin: Katie McManus & McPherson’s
• Art Series and Indigenous Art Series BioCups: BioPak
• Sealed Air Personalised Smart Pouch: SEE New Zealand
• Whistler - Avian Intelligence Birdfood Range for Fibrecycle: Zipform Packaging

Outside of the Box Design

The Outside of the Box Design of the Year Award has been established for miscellaneous packs and materials that are not included in any other category. This is a WorldStar Packaging General Award category.

The finalists are:

• Bouncee - Reusable Insulating Crates: ICEE Technology Group
• PPI Coffee Tray: Production Packaging Innovations by Azadeh Yousefi & Karl Joyce

Marketing Design

Packaging can elicit emotional responses in consumers and should be seen as your best form of marketing. The right packaging design and eye-catching aesthetics can create emotional stimuli that ensures a brand is purchased. The Marketing Design of the Year award considers not only primary packaging, but also secondary and tertiary packaging designs. This is a WorldStar Packaging Special Award category.

The finalists are:

• EzyPour + Refill: Thankyou & Caps and Closures
• Premium Grapes Paper Bunch Bag: Costa Group & The Packaging Hippie

Accessible & Inclusive Design

The Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design Special Award is designed to recognise packaging that is accessible, intuitive, easy-to-open and innovative. Accessible & Inclusive Packaging Design needs to include measuring techniques, understanding injuries caused by packaging and consumer satisfaction levels with packaging accessibility. This is a WorldStar Packaging Special Award category.

The finalists are:

• Deli Cuts: Don Smallgoods
• EzyLug + Coconut Oil: Melrose & Caps and Closures

Save Food Packaging Design

The Save Food Packaging Design Special Award is designed to recognise companies that are working to minimise or prevent food waste from paddock to plate using innovative and intuitive design features that can contain and protect, preserve and extend shelf life; all the while meeting global sustainable packaging targets. This is a WorldStar Packaging Special Award category.

The finalists are:

• Cryovac Flexprep Portion Dispensing Pouches for McDonald`s Australia: SEE
• Deli Cuts: Dons Smallgoods
• Dutch Cream Potatoes Red Gem: Red Gem Packers and Growers & The Packaging Hippie
• Ezylug + Coconut Oil: Melrose & Caps and Closures
• Naked Rivals: Naked Rivals

Sustainable Packaging Design

The Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year award is designed to recognise companies that have developed innovative packaging or processing solutions that incorporates sustainability considerations. Elements include Social, Material, Source Reduction, Energy and Recovery. This is a WorldStar Packaging Special Award category.

The finalists are:

• Australian-Made Post-Consumer Recycled Content Postage Satchel: Close the Loop
• Birds Eye Steamfresh 750g: Simplot Australia
• Bunzl Workwear Packaging: Bunzl Safety and Lifting
• Don Smallgoods 100% rPET Tray: VERIX & Martogg Group
• EPS Replacement Prawn Carton: Tassal Group & Visy Industries
• Green Action Dishwashing Liquid 500ml: TrendPac
• Home Compostable Container Range: BioPak
• Korrvu Retention for Australia Post: SEE & Australia Post
• Liquipure Ultra for The Muse Wine Company: SEE
• Maggi Mug Noodles 4 Pack - Chicken and Beef Flavour: Nestlé Australia
• Masterfoods Squeezy Pet Sauce Bottles: Mars Food & Wellman Packaging
• PREP - Designing For The Circular Economy: PREP Design
• Purex: Essity New Zealand, supplied by TC Transcontinental New Zealand
• QV Face Range: Ego Pharmaceuticals
• Starward Nova: Starward
• Strike Pro Cleaner refill pods: Woolworths
• Thermocup: Wellman Packaging
• Woolworths Pad-free rPET Trays with ‘Leave Attached” Film for kerbside recycling: Pact Group, Woolworths & Hilton Foods
• Woolworths Spring Water Bottles 600ml X 24 Pack: Nu-Pure Beverages & Woolworths Food Company
• Woolworths uncoloured milk lids: Woolworths

Industry Packaging Professional of the Year

2024 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year Award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the packaging industry in Australia and New Zealand. The judges look for individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership, shows innovation and not afraid to take risks. This award is for significant and continued contribution of an Individual to the industry over a minimum period of 20 years.

The finalists are:

• Barton Porter, business manager – Packaging, HBM Plastics & Packaging Technologies
• Bryan McKay, head of packaging, Woolworths Group
• Gary Smith, chief executive officer, BioPak
• George Sofocleous, managing director, Pinnacle Packaging
• Mark Kerr, packaging manager, Don KRC

Young Packaging Professional of the Year

The purpose of the Young Packaging Professional of the Year Award is to provide incentive and recognition to young professionals who are both currently working in and wish to continue their career path within the packaging industry in both Australia and New Zealand. This can be within any industries such as Food, Beverage, Health, Beauty & Wellness, Domestic & Household.

The finalists are:

• Curtis Wakeley, structural designer, Blue Star New Zealand
• Hamish Hingston, chief executive officer, ICEE Technology Group
• Pippa Corry, founder & director, Philo & Co
• Dr Ruby Chan, project researcher, RMIT

Packaging Technologist of the Year

The Packaging Technologist of the Year Award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the packaging industry across Australia, New Zealand & Asia.

The finalists are:

• Christopher Cester, packaging specialist, Flavour Makers
• Conny Gibson, packaging specialist, Woolworths
• Nicholas Campbell, general manager operations & technical, Wellman Packaging
• Rebecca Kersey, senior packaging technologist, APCO

ABA Scholarships

The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), in partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), is pleased to offer an annual Scholarship Program for Australia and New Zealand. The Scholarship Program will enable one eligible candidate the opportunity to undertake a Diploma in Packaging Technology, and a second person the opportunity to undertake a Certificate in Packaging.

The finalists are:

• Donve Viljoen, packaging coordinator, Carman's Kitchen
• Manpreet Kaur Grewal, product technologist, MSAC Solutions
• Renata Daudt, director, AWEN Packaging Consulting
• Angela Hanson, packaging technologist, Tip Top
• Cristiam Camilo Serrano Gonzalez, packaging engineer, Don KRC
• Ola Wicik, packaging engineer, Opal Fibre ANZ
• Rhys Blakemore, sustainable materials lead, Officeworks

Winners will be announced at the gala PIDA Awards ceremony, which will be held on 16 August at the Shangri-La, The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales. Book your spot by clicking here.