David Luttenberger, global packaging director for Mintel Group and the lead judge for the Awards, says, “It’s an honour to be part of an event that’s dedicated to independently seeking out the best packaging innovations regardless of location and application. I’m truly impressed by this year’s winners and excited to see so many companies from all over the world constantly innovating to meet changing consumer demands and sustainable practices.”

The 2019 Packaging Innovation Awards hosted by Dow is the industry’s longest-running independently judged packaging awards programme. The judging panel consists of professionals from a wide range of fields, including design, engineering, retail, converting and academia.

The highest honour, the Diamond Award, went to Dai Nippon Printing Packaging Division’s DNP Functional Film Complex PET plastic bottle, an environmentally conscious and brand-friendly bottle alternative that offers a distinct glass-like appearance due to a peelable outer layer, which can act as an oxygen barrier when combined with PET. Currently, many beverage bottles are made with glass because of its barrier properties and sense of luxury, despite its heavier weight and a higher risk of breakage.

Glass often shatters while it’s collected or sorted, and its residue can contaminate other products that could otherwise be recycled. The PET plastic bottle retains all the qualities consumers love about glass bottles — the feel and sense of luxury — while creating a recyclable, lightweight and virtually unbreakable product.

Diego Donoso, business president, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, says, “This year we received a record-breaking number of submissions for innovative, forward-thinking packaging designs from around the world. Congratulations to all of 2019 winners. I’m continually impressed by the world-class innovations that we see year after year.”