The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design awards recognised that there is no single route to more sustainable packaging, with the judges awarding gold across five distinct sustainability principles – Resource Reduction, Reuse, Recycled Content, Design for Recovery, and Innovations in Resource Recovery.
The decision to separate the category reflected both the quality and diversity of entries, highlighting solutions that reduce material use, enable reuse, incorporate recycled content, improve recyclability and strengthen recovery systems.
Resource Reduction
The gold award for Resource Reduction went to Ecomark Natural Branding, developed by Costa Group, Result Group and The Packaging Hippie. Rather than adding labels, tags or sleeves for seasonal promotions, the project uses precision laser marking to apply food-safe branding directly onto avocado skins (with application for other fresh produce too). By turning the fruit itself into the communication surface, the solution eliminates the need for additional promotional packaging while maintaining retail presentation and shopper engagement. The judges recognised the project as a practical demonstration that marketing objectives and material reduction can be achieved simultaneously.
Reuse
Bonson Packaging's RePlay Returnables claimed the gold award for Reuse – the company's third gold medal of the 2026 PIDA Awards. The returnable food container system combines reusable polypropylene containers with digital tracking technology that enables consumers to borrow, return and reuse containers through a simple account-based system. Designed for up to 50 reuse cycles, the system demonstrates how packaging, digital technology and customer participation can work together to reduce reliance on single-use packaging.
Recycled Content
thinkpac received gold in the Recycled Content category for its ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range, manufactured using a proprietary resin produced entirely from post-consumer soft plastics. Containing 50 per cent recycled content while maintaining the performance required for industrial pallet wrapping, the mono-material polyethylene film enables businesses to reduce virgin plastic use without compromising load containment or compatibility with existing wrapping equipment.
Design for Recovery
The Honey Squeeze Pack from Caps & Closures took out gold for its emphasis on recyclability alongside consumer functionality. The pack replaces conventional silicone dispensing valves with a fully recyclable alternative and offers versions incorporating up to 100 per cent post-consumer recycled content across the bottle, cap and valve. The judges also recognised the pack's precise dispensing, one-handed operation and leak-resistant design, demonstrating that improved recyclability need not come at the expense of consumer experience.
Innovations in Resource Recovery
Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack and Signet received gold in this category for the Smart Circular Satchel, manufactured entirely from Australian post-consumer recycled LDPE sourced from household soft plastics. Produced through a fully domestic supply chain, the satchel combines 100 per cent recycled content with a controlled return pathway through Australia Post, helping maintain cleaner material streams and improving recovery outcomes. The lightweight mono-material design also reduces material use while maintaining durability for postal applications.
Silver awards were presented to Woolworths (600ml Spring Water) in Resource Reduction, Viscount (Nally Folding MegaBin) in Reuse, Impact International (Mono-material HDPE tube and cap range) in Design for Recovery, and Popit Recycling, Martogg and Procal Dairies (Milk Bottle Recycling System) in Innovations in Resource Recovery. TrendPac and Coles received bronze in Resource Reduction for Coles Antibacterial Handwash 250ml bottle.
Together, this year's winners illustrate how sustainable packaging innovation is expanding beyond material substitution to encompass system redesign, reusable models, recycled content, recovery infrastructure and more efficient use of packaging materials – reinforcing that meaningful sustainability outcomes can be achieved through multiple pathways.
