The independent jury of the German Packaging Award 2023 has announced the winners of Europe’s largest showcase for packaging achievements. A total of 34 innovations from England, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria triumphed in the cross-material showcase organised by the German Packaging Institute (Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut (dvi)) for the best solutions in packaging. The dvi is delighted with the high quality, diversity and range of innovations. The award ceremony will take place on 13 September 2023 in the Berlin “Meistersaal” historic concert hall. The winners of the gold award, which further honours particularly ground-breaking innovations from among the already successful packaging award winners, will also be announced here in an exclusive feature.
The German Packaging Award has existed for 60 years. It was established in 1963 by the advisory board of the Rationalisierungsgemeinschaft Verpackung (RGV) packaging group to promote innovation in the industry and support the development of best-of-breed solutions. The German Packaging Institute (Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut e. V.) has had responsibility for the award since 1996 and it has since developed into the largest showcase for packaging in Europe.
“The challenges that packaging have to overcome have changed over the past decades. Our products have to meet more and more expectations and requirements and find new solutions,” says Kim Cheng, managing director of the Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut e. V. (dvi).
“What has remained constant though is the fundamental importance that packaging has for our well-being, for our health and for supplying people and businesses with all the goods they need on a daily basis. It is therefore all the more important that, despite all the crises and challenges we all face, our industry does not let up in its efforts to conquer this important task with outstanding innovative work. The many submissions flooding in to the German Packaging Award 2023 and the award-winning solutions are once again emphatic proof of this,” says Kim Cheng enthusiastically.
Winners in all categories
The independent jury of the German packaging award examined and judged all the entries against fixed, category-specific criteria at a two-day meeting at our premium partner IGEPA group’s premises. These experts from business, research and the trade media have selected 34 winners, spread across all 10 categories of the German Packaging Award: digitisation (2), functionality and convenience (3), design and processing (4), logistics and material flow (2), sustainability (13), new material (1), packaging machines (2), presentation of goods (2), economic efficiency (2), young talent (3). dvi premium partner Fachpack sponsors the young talent category.
The winning innovations came from ALDI SÜD, Anton Debatin, Aroma Elite, Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Boomerang Systems, Brands for Business, BRAUN Denk & Werk, CCL Label, easy2cool, Münster University of Applied Sciences, Graphic Packaging International, Henkel, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Innovation Engineer, Kiefel, Krones, Linhardt, Mondi (with Megaflex and Bett1), Muhr & Söhne (with Sika Germany), Pohl-Scandia, Recyda, Schoepe Display, Siegwerk Druckfarben, Smurfit Kappa, Sparck Technologies, SÜDPACK Verpackungen, Syntegon Technology, TUBEX and Vollherbst Druck.
High quality and wide bandwidth
“We have winners across a variety of materials, segments and application areas. Whether aluminium, tin, plastic, wood, corrugated board, paper, cardboard, software or machines, whether tube, box, can, carton, cushioning material, machine, software, display, label, transport, repackaging or sales packaging – the companies in the packaging industry have pulled out all the stops and found clever, creative and intelligent solutions,” reports Kim Cheng.
The dvi managing director observed that a clear focus was once again on sustainability, circular economy and climate and environmental protection. “Basically, there is hardly any innovation that cannot have an impact in this area. But the range of first-class innovations that make a difference is again enormous,” says Cheng.
The winners shine out with their designs in recycling, material substitution, reductions in transport volume, with a view to brand image, sales promotion or consumer activation, via material savings or CO2 reduction, through new functionalities or even more convenience, with smart multiple uses, in the area of reusable and online trade, in automation, flexibility or cost-effectiveness.
Award ceremony and Gold Awards
All the packaging awards will be presented, but the gold award will be the main focus of the event. The dvi has confirmed that the jury has given a few innovations an extra honour this year with the exclusive gold award. “These are simply innovations that stand out even above the illustrious circle of packaging award winners. We will only be announcing who will receive this highest award at the award ceremony on 13 September,” says Cheng.
