News

2023/2/9

FPA Announces the 2023 Flexible Packaging Achievement Award Winners

Annapolis, Maryland: March 30, 2023 – The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the leading advocate and voice for the growing U.S. flexible packaging industry, is pleased to announce the winners of its 67th Annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition. The winning entries were recognized during the FPA Welcome Dinner & Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Ceremony held Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in conjunction with the 2023 FPA Annual Meeting (March 29-31) at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida.

For this year’s competition, 86 package entries were submitted with a total of 323 entries (some packages were entered into multiple categories). Thirty packages were honored with 38 Achievement Awards.

Special thanks are given to the 2023 competition judging panel: Gary Borges, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin – Stout; Charles Marshall, Principal, Priority Metrics Group; and Jeff Peterson, President, Peterson Media Group.

Technical innovation and sustainability continue to be the focus of the competition. “Sustainability is growing tremendously very fast. Post-consumer recycling is a trend that we saw,” notes Borges. “And we’re seeing an increase in paper structures that are either compostable paper or paper structures that we can send to our paper waste streams at home. So we're seeing all of these innovations taking place. It is pretty impressive.” Peterson adds, “Flexible packaging is looked at as a way to create packaging and utilize less of it for many applications. We saw a lot of that during the judging process.”

Marshall states, “One of the things that struck me was the fact that there are so many hands in the process, you have to really understand your customers’ goals to accomplish them. You need to meet the desired goals of the customer in terms of what they want to accomplish for the brand. You also want the consumer to like the package and see the sustainability piece. So, there's a lot of juggling that goes on and pleasing every group to make the best package for everyone. It’s a tough task and I think came through loud and clear how well these companies are looking at everyone and trying their best.”

“It is pretty impressive the amount of platform growth that we're seeing taking place in the packaging, on the topic of sustainability, notes Borges. “What do we do? What is it going to look like five or 10 years from now? We're getting a good picture seeing some of these new structures on what it's starting to look like. And it's fun here, being at this stage, watching it.” Peterson adds, “One of the interesting categories is the extended use of flexible packaging because you really can see, hey, what are people doing that's brand new that really hasn't been done in the marketplace using flexible packaging versus paper cartons or rigid plastics.”

According to Marshall, “What the technology groups did in accomplishing those goals was just really amazing. And, in looking at packaging through the years, it has come a long way. The future is bright in the continued changes and modifications that are necessary to make flexible packaging continue to grow.”

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