(Clockwise from top left): Bebi infant juice and water; Berri Daily Juice On-The-Go bottles; Mount Franklin Easy Crush bottle; Webstercare's medication pack; Hydralyte Sports; and Sprout mobile accessories. All were category winners in last year's Australian Packaging Design Awards, and subsequently gained further success in the World Packaging Organisation's WorldStar Packaging Awards.

PCA announces dates for 2013 Packaging Design Awards

18 March 2013

The Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) has officially kicked off the 2013 Australian Packaging Design Awards (APDA), the country's most prestigious annual competition for brand owners, designers, retailers, manufacturers and raw material suppliers to highlight their packaging creations.

Following a tweak to the format last year, the PCA has announced the awards will once again be grouped in the same product categories: Food; Beverage; Household & Office; Health & Beauty; Industrial; and Seasonal & Promotional. The PCA will also offer awards for Innovation and the overall Best of Show.

“These Awards are on the hunt to recognise and celebrate companies who are imaginative, innovative and creative in producing packaging of a high standard,” the PCA said.

According to the PCA, participating in the Awards has assisted companies launch new products into the market, improve their corporate positioning, increase their business profile and build media and brand awareness on a national and international scale.

Last year's awards proved a springboard for international success for many category winners, with design agency Outerspace Design, beverage bottler Coca-Cola Amatil, infant juice and water specialist Poppet International and pharmaceutical packager Webstercare all successful in using their APDA wins to join the roster of winners at the World Packaging Organisation's WorldStar Packaging Awards. This year's APDA winners will all be eligible to vie for next year's WorldStar honours.

The judging criteria, across all categories, takes into account: design and materials, environment and sustainability, accessibility and consumer interaction; and innovation.

Judges will also consider other supporting material which doesn’t fit into any of the above criteria such as market share growth, originality of material use, or “disruption” to the category.

The PCA is also offering “Early Bird” rates of $165 per pack for entrants who register before 12 April. Registration after that date costs $220 per pack.

The closing date for registration is 26 July, and the final date for packaging samples and evaluation documents to be submitted is 16 August.

For more information visit www.pca.org.au.