• Special Awards were given to Caps & Closures (silver for Save Food and silver for Accessible Packaging) while  BioPak won the coveted gold for Sustainability. From left: Lachlan Holmes, Pierre Pienaar, Brendon Holmes, Gary Smith and colleague, and Nerida Kelton.
    Special Awards were given to Caps & Closures (silver for Save Food and silver for Accessible Packaging) while BioPak won the coveted gold for Sustainability. From left: Lachlan Holmes, Pierre Pienaar, Brendon Holmes, Gary Smith and colleague, and Nerida Kelton.
  • Jubilant: Michael Dossor of Result Group
    Jubilant: Michael Dossor of Result Group
  • Brendon and Lachlan Holmes.
    Brendon and Lachlan Holmes.
  • Weighed down by awards, what a problem to have. Caps & Closures MD Brendon Holmes receives his stash from WPO President Pierre Pienaar.
    Weighed down by awards, what a problem to have. Caps & Closures MD Brendon Holmes receives his stash from WPO President Pierre Pienaar.
  • Nerida Kelton, Andrew Manly and Lindy Hughson.
    Nerida Kelton, Andrew Manly and Lindy Hughson.
  • PKN's Lindy Hughson celebrates with Joe Foster of OF Packaging and Close the Loop Group.
    PKN's Lindy Hughson celebrates with Joe Foster of OF Packaging and Close the Loop Group.
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It was a huge night of celebration for all WorldStar 2023 winners, including the Australian contingent that had made the trip to Dusseldorf to receive their awards at a gala ceremony held during Interpack.

Weighed down by awards, what a problem to have. Caps & Closures MD Brendon Holmes receives his stash from WPO President Pierre Pienaar.
Weighed down by awards, what a problem to have. Caps & Closures MD Brendon Holmes receives his stash from WPO President Pierre Pienaar.

The region won 19 general awards, with Special awards on the night going to BioPak and Caps & Closures. Australia New Zealand placed second in the world for the second year running in terms of the total number of awards won.

Over 300 people were at the ceremony, with 19 Australians over to collect 10 trophies.

Caps & Closures was the region's biggest winner, taking home no less than four awards, and going on to win two more later.

The region also had one finalist in each of three of the Special Awards categories which only get announced on the night.

Caps & Closures won two Silver awards, one each for the Save Food and the new Accessible Packaging category; while BioPak took home the coveted Gold in the Sustainability category.

Nerida Kelton, VP Save Food and Sustainability for the World Packaging Organisation, presented the special awards.

PKN's Lindy Hughson celebrates with Joe Foster of OF Packaging and Close the Loop Group.
PKN's Lindy Hughson celebrates with Joe Foster of OF Packaging and Close the Loop Group.

PKN publisher Lindy Hughson also attended as part of the International Packaging Press Organisation delegation. 

Other companies from Australia collecting prizes included Amcor, Coles, Opal, Result Group, OF Packaging and Ego Pharmaceuticals.

 

Food & Drink Business

Wine Australia and Wine Victoria will put almost $887,000 over three years into projects covering sustainability, biosecurity, business data and export insights for Victorian grapegrowers and winemakers.

McCain Foods has turned over a full 24-hour production run at its Ballarat plant to Foodbank Australia, producing 120,000 meals valued at more than $790,000.

The Australian Beverages Council has committed the non-alcoholic drinks industry to lifting low and no sugar drinks to 70 per cent of water-based beverage sales by 2030, up from 65 per cent in 2024. The target is the centrepiece of the council’s Beverage Choices Roadmap to 2030 (BCR30), launched by CEO Geoff Parker at its annual Drinks Industry Dialogue in Sydney yesterday.