The World Packaging Organisation’s annual WorldStar Awards ceremony took place in Milan on 30 May, with strong representation from our region, which finished 4th in the world overall with 19 general awards, and added three special awards to the tally on the night. PKN joined the Aussies in attendance.
It was a glorious night of celebration at the Alcione Theatre in downtown Milan as the WPO's WorldStar team, led by VP for marketing Soha Attalah, pulled out all the stops to give award winners the recognition they were due. The ceremony brought together packaging professionals from around the world during the IPACK-IMA trade show week, reinforcing the international spirit of the awards.
This year’s edition marked a record-breaking achievement, with more than 550 entries submitted from 40 countries, demonstrating the growing reach and relevance of the WorldStar Awards as the most prestigious global packaging competition. Of these, 260 entries were honoured across a broad range of categories encompassing Food, Beverage, Health & Personal Care, Packaging Materials & Components, Transit, and more.
Those in attendance from Australia were Sealed Air Corporation, Caps & Closures, Integrated Plastic, TrendPac, Australasian Institute of Packaging, and PKN Packaging News. Helping pick up some of the trophies on the night for absentee winners were AIP's Nerida Kelton, who stepped up for New Zealand company Apex Brands, and Lindy Hughson, who picked up two awards for BioPak.
Wearing her other hat for the evening as VP Sustainability & Save Food for the WPO World Packaging Organisation, Kelton also presented the trophies to the winners for Sustainability and Save Food Packaging special awards.
In the Special Awards category, Don Smallgoods (George Weston Foods) were recognised twice for the innovative Don Deli Cuts packaging design, winning Gold for the Save Food Packaging special award and Silver for the Accessible & Inclusive special award. Aussie start-up Naked Rivals was awarded Bronze in the Save Food Packaging special category.
