US Plastics Pact announces 2023 Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award winners for Compostability, Recyclability, Refill and Reuse; winners will receive manufacturing trial discussions with the potential to pilot with Walmart

Seattle, WA (June 10, 2023)- This week, on June 6, the U.S. Plastics Pact  (U.S. Pact) announced the 2023 Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award winners with U.S. Pact Activator Walmart at GreenBiz’s Circularity Event.

“2025 is right around the corner as companies work to design their packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Innovation that complies with widely accepted design guidance is critical for packaging formats that don’t yet have an identified circular alternative. The 2023 award winners represent circular solutions to packaging formats that have typically presented numerous challenges. These packaging solutions not only meet the design guidelines but they were developed with the customer and consumer experience in mind.” said Emily Tipaldo, U.S. Plastics Pact Executive Director. “The U.S. Pact has set a national strategy with our Activators to eliminate plastic pollution across the packaging value chain. We are proud to recognize the next round of scalable innovations which align with our four targets.”

Award Winners:

• Compostability: Jac Vandenberg’s PackNatur® Cellulose Tube Netting is a tree fiber-based netting for bagged fresh produce. This innovative material offers convenience to the consumer and can typically run on existing bagging equipment. It offers a compostable replacement to a packaging format that has typically been challenging to recycle.
• Recyclability: Ring Container Technologies BarrierGuard® OxygenSmart™ is the first PET oxygen barrier of its kind to receive critical guidance from the Association of Plastic Recyclers as it does not yellow in the recycling process and degrade the clear PET recycling stream. It can provide freshness up to 24 months and can be used in containers with up to 75% rPET without impacting barrier properties, as well as hot-fill containers.
• Refill: Alternative Packaging Solution’s twistMist™ is the first-ever twist-activated, propellant-free aerosol technology that offers up to 30 refills. It was designed to be compatible with a variety of applications including disinfectants, deodorants, hair treatment products, and many others. Because twistMist™ aerosols are refillable, reusable, and can use recyclable bottles, they produce a 90% lower CO2 footprint than traditional aerosols.
• Reuse: Pact Retail Accessories’ Reuse Solutions consist of a wide range of reusable packaging products designed specifically for retailers. These products, such as hangars, security tags, and polypropylene boxes, offer multiple lifecycles for items that were previously used just once and thrown away. By preventing plastic from ending up in landfills, these solutions contribute to cost savings for retailers.

Winners will receive manufacturing trial discussions with the potential to pilot with Walmart, four 30-minute mentoring sessions with the Walmart Private Brands Packaging Teams, a technology showcase with procurement and technical staff from U.S. Pact Activators spanning the plastics value chain, and will be interviewed on Cory Connors’ Sustainable Packaging Podcast.

“Circularity for packaging requires work on packaging design, infrastructure and technology improvements, community engagement, and more. However, packaging design is the only area where retailers and brands have direct control. 2025 is rapidly approaching, and it is crucial that retailers and brands can connect with innovative solutions that comply with the recommended design guidance and meet the necessary performance parameters for their applications. Walmart developed the Circular Connector last year as a tool to accelerate connecting companies that design packaging with innovative circular solutions. This match-making portal can help accelerate all companies’ design efforts as we move to a circular economy. The Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award winners were chosen out of over 200 submissions, and we are excited by their potential to help more packaging categories convert to circular formats.” said, Ashley C. Hall, Director of Sustainable Packaging for Walmart and U.S. Pact Advisory Council Vice-Chair.

Winners and Honorable Mentions were chosen by a robust judging panel that included retailers, manufacturers, and not-for-profit organizations. The submissions were evaluated based on their compliance with U.S. Pact and Walmart design guidelines, circularity, carbon impact, manufacturability, and impact on the consumer experience.

Honorable Mentions will also have the chance to participate in the U.S. Pact Innovation Award Showcase later this summer. The content of the presentations will target packaging R&D and buyers from companies that use packaging, such as manufacturers and food service companies. The showcase is open to all.

Honorable Mentions:

• Compostability: Smile Compostable Solutions: Home Compostable Coffee Pods
• Recyclability: The Paper People: Paperlock™ and Papyros Packaging: Papyrofoam™
• Reuse: Reusables.com: Take Out Containers
• Refill: Nude Foods Market: Zero Waste Grocers

Media Inquiries:

To arrange an interview with Emily Tipaldo, Executive Director, U.S. Plastics Pact, or to be connected with U.S. Pact Activators, contact:

Ximena Coronado
xcoronado@usplasticspact.org
469-328-7217