Over 200 submissions from 15 countries and three continents were entered into the race for the German Packaging Award 2025. The independent expert jury honored 37 outstanding innovations across all materials with the coveted award.
- 09/09/2025
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- Sustainability
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37 Winners Receive the German Packaging Award at FACHPACK
37 innovations in 13 categories will be honored with the German Packaging Award 2024 More than 200 submissions from 15 countries were received by the German Packaging Institute e. V. (dvi), the organizer of Europe’s largest packaging exhibition. The dvi invites the industry to the award ceremony and the announcement of the Gold Awards at FACHPACK.
The winners come from Germany, Iran, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. We also received submissions from China, England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Serbia, Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey. The innovations cover the entire range of materials. They use glass, wood, rigid or flexible plastic, metal, paper, cardboard and corrugated cardboard.
According to the dvi, the 37 award winners demonstrate pioneering solutions for a circular economy, for the development of innovative sources and applications for recyclate, for new bio-based materials, and for optimized unboxing and intuitive user experiences. New solutions for mono-material composites, barrier functions, and product protection will also be on show.
Otto Tests Shipping Carton Made from Bog Plants
In the Sustainability Material Substitution category, mail order giant Otto and LEIPA Group GmbH were among the winners. They impressed the jury with a plant transport carton made from recycled paper and 10 per cent fibers from Paludi biomass from rewetted moorland.
The jury said: “The shipping carton for Otto and the plant transport carton from Leipa and DIY retailer Obi were manufactured with a 10 per cent Paludi fiber content in the corrugated base paper and carton respectively. The commercial use of Paludi fibers is intended to promote the rewetting of drained moors in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as 7 per cent of total annual CO2 emissions in Germany alone come from drained moors. “With this award, the jury recognizes the pilot projects of the toMOORow initiative to generate new plant fibers for paper production and at the same time bind greenhouse gas emissions through the use of Paludi plants.”
Award-Winning Packaging for Solar Modules
Smurfit Westrock was honored twice this year with the German Packaging Award. The solar module packaging convinced the jury in the Logistics & Material Flow category, while the newly developed brake disc packaging won the prize in the Economy category.
The new solar module packaging offers optimum product protection thanks to integrated impact protection, is reusable, and enables more efficient lorry utilization thanks to the upright positioning on Euro pallet dimensions. Particularly noteworthy is the sophisticated design with bayonet closure, flexible capacity, and up to three-color printing for handling and branding. The jury recognized this solution as an “outstanding contribution to greater efficiency and safety in the logistics process.”
The new packaging solution for brake discs sets standards in terms of cost-effectiveness: less material used with the same component protection, no additional packaging variety (no new VER numbers) and better space utilization in the volume crate. Two new, size-optimized boxes further simplify logistics and noticeably increase shipping efficiency.
PP Mono-Material Packaging for Ready-to-Drink Coffee
In the sustainability category, the dvi honors packaging that “shows how well thought-out design, material intelligence, and user orientation can merge into a genuine innovation”: the PP mono-material packaging for ready-to-drink coffee from Molkerei Gropper GmbH & Co. KG sets new standards in sustainable packaging development, according to the jury.
“Its centerpiece is a cleverly integrated in-mold label that completely replaces the classic aluminum plate. This IML takes over the function of the initial opening, remains on the lid after opening – and, like the entire cup, is made of pure polypropylene. This solution not only improves the user experience, but also enables the entire packaging to be recycled by type in the PP fraction – a real contribution to the circular economy,” the dvi says.
Award Ceremony and Gold Awards
The award ceremony will take place on 23 September 2025 on the first day of FACHPACK in Nuremberg. FACHPACK is a premium partner of the German Packaging Award. The three winners of the Gold Award will also be announced exclusively in Nuremberg. With the Gold Award, the jury also honors particularly ground-breaking innovations from among the packaging award winners.