The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has named 234 winners of the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 2026, selected from 481 entries submitted from 36 countries.
Japan recorded the highest number of winning entries with 24 awards, followed by Austria with 21. China and Germany were tied with 18 winners each, Brazil received 17 awards, while the Czech Republic and Slovakia each recorded 12 winning projects.
Seven Australian and New Zealand companies received a total of 11 WorldStar Packaging Awards in the 2026 program.
According to Luciana Pellegrino, president of WPO, the scale of this year’s awards reflects the role the program plays in highlighting developments across the packaging sector. “This record edition reflects the importance of WorldStar not only in recognising the best packaging solutions worldwide, but mainly in highlighting innovations driven by technology, sustainability, convenience, functionality, and other themes that are essential for the global development of the packaging industry,” she said.
Pellegrino added that the projects submitted addressed issues such as food waste reduction, food safety and food preservation. “This is a powerful opportunity to raise packaging standards and to deliver concrete solutions to critical challenges such as food waste reduction, food safety, and food preservation,” she said.
Nerida Kelton, executive director of the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), said international recognition was becoming increasingly competitive. “With the tough global competition increasing every year receiving a coveted WorldStar Packaging Award is getting harder. The AIP are extremely proud that seven ANZ PIDA winners have been internationally recognised with 11 awards across six categories including Packaging Materials & Components, Food, Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, Other, Household, and Labelling & Decoration,” she said.
Kelton added that only winners of the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) awards are eligible to enter the WorldStar Packaging Awards. “The continued global recognition of Australian and New Zealand packaging designs is a testament to the strict criteria and judging process of our regional awards program,” she said.
The 2026 WorldStar Packaging Award winners from Australia and New Zealand are:
Food
- Australian Organic Food Co mono material spout pouch (Flavour Makers + Cheer Pack Asia Pacific)
- Amprima recycle-ready packaging for shredded cheese (Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific ANZ)
- Koor refillable system (Koor)
- Katermaster Regen reusable food container (Bunzl Australia & New Zealand)
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
- Paper-based fresh produce punnet (Mountain Blue + Opal)
Labelling & Decoration
- Carman’s Gourmet Snack Mix – Zipform Packaging
Household
- Koor refillable system (Koor)
Packaging Materials & Components
- Amprima recycle-ready packaging for shredded cheese (Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific ANZ)
- Australian Organic Food Co mono material spout pouch (Flavour Makers + Cheer Pack Asia Pacific)
- Advantage 9um pallet wrap (Bunzl Australia & New Zealand)
Other
- Reusable e-commerce tote (Woolworths Reuse Co + Viscount Reuse)
Soha Atallah, WorldStar coordinator and vice-president of Marketing at WPO, said the diversity of the winning projects reflected changes across the sector. “The diversity and technical sophistication of this year’s winners clearly show how packaging is advancing in areas such as material efficiency, circular economy, smart technologies, and consumer-centric design,” she said.
The WorldStar Awards ceremony will take place on 8 May 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany, during interpack, which runs from 7–13 May 2026. During the ceremony, WPO will also reveal the winners of its Special Categories, including the President’s Award, Sustainability Award, Marketing Award and Packaging that Saves Food Award.
Kelton said the AIP looks forward to celebrating the Australian and New Zealand winners in person at the ceremony in Düsseldorf.
The full list of WorldStar 2026 winners is available on the official WorldStar website.
