EUROPE’S aspiring designers are being invited to submit their cartonboard concepts for a chance to win a trip to a leading cartonboard manufacturer and gain exclusive practice training a folding carton producer in Europe.
The Pro Carton Young Designer Award 2023 is now open for entries, with it celebrating the talents of young designers and the creative minds set to influence the next chapter of packaging innovations.
Launched in 2004, the awards invites students from European schools, colleges, and universities to put their design skills to the test and create innovative cartonboard packaging concepts. Entries can be submitted in three categories, including food & drink, all other, and sustainability. In addition, one winner will be chosen as the public’s favourite and take home an Apple iPad. All finalists and teachers will be invited to attend the award gala ceremony, taking place in September 2023 in Seville, Spain.
Entrants are encouraged to think about sustainability in design, and how brands can embrace the versatility and functionality of cartonboard, transforming their packaging, and shelf appeal using renewable materials.
Students from all stages of education are invited to participate in the free-to-enter competition. Teachers are also invited to include the Pro Carton Young Designers Award in their 2023 course projects. For those interested, Pro Carton’s supporting partners will also provide complementary cartonboard sheets for students to use.
Since launching in 2004, the packaging award scheme continues to grow, with an increased interest from educational institutions who have recognised the valuable opportunities the award brings for young designers. In 2022, the Awards saw a record-breaking number of entries with over 800 submissions from over 100 universities.
Amongst some of the 2022 winners, Twin Bags for Popcorn and Beverages designed by Burak Ayataç scooped the top prize for the Creative Cartonboard Packaging | Food & Drink category for its convenient and sturdy solution, whilst creators Jana Becker & Wilma Schulz won the Creative Cartonboard Packaging | All other category for float – a sustainable and playful solution to bath salt packaging. Meanwhile, students Anna Grubing, Daria-Luna Sagurna & Sabrina Hofmann took home the Sustainability Award for their design, align, which is an eco-friendly alternative to store and contain cables, eliminating the use of plastic.
Winfried Muehling, marketing and communications director at Pro Carton, said, “The Pro Carton Young Designers Award is a remarkable competition which offers students of all ages with a fantastic opportunity to exercise their creative talents and think about the future of packaging and our planet. Cartonboard is such a truly versatile and renewable material and we’re continually blown away by creativity demonstrated by our previous winners. We’re excited to see the entries roll in for another successful year of cartonboard creations by the future leaders of the packaging industry.”
