WITH Pro Carton’s pan-European Awards set to return this September, the countdown to enter the European Carton Excellence Award (ECEA) is underway.
There is just one month left to enter the ECEA, hosted by Pro Carton and the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA), which tasks partners across the supply chain to showcase innovative cartonboard packaging designs. The deadline to enter is May 26, with entries sought in the following four categories:
General Packaging – Virgin Fibre
General Packaging – Recycled Fibre
Food & Drink Packaging – Virgin Fibre
Food & Drink Packaging – Recycled Fibre
All award submissions will automatically be entered into the Carton of the Year Award, while entrants can also choose to enter the Sustainability and/or Innovation Award. The public will vote for their favourite pack in the Public Award, while Platinum and Gold Award winners will also be chosen in each category.
Last year, the Carton of the Year accolade went to Rutgers Printing & Packaging Solutions (Carton Converter) and Stora Enso (Cartonboard Manufacturer) for its snack tomatoes pack. It was described as a ‘masterpiece of elementary and sustainable design, with the perfect balance between maximising the visibility of the product while maintaining rigidity’.
The folding carton design was made of food-safe, renewable virgin fibre, with a locking mechanism which ‘wowed’ the judges.
Winfried Muehling, Pro Carton’s marketing and communication director, said, “Each year, the standard of entries for the European Carton Excellence Awards is exceptionally high. The awards recognise the beauty of cartonboard – not only in its visual form, which is highly aesthetic – but the functional benefits it offers. It is fast becoming the preferred packaging material for brands looking for a renewable, recyclable, and sustainable alternative.
“Since the award launched back in 1997, it has grown into the industry’s must-attend ceremony and the perfect place to meet and greet fellow packaging professionals, giving attendees the chance to network and celebrate with the industry.”
Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Thursday 21 September in Seville, Spain.
To find out more about this year’s European Carton Excellence Award, including how to enter, visit: https://www.procarton.com/awards/european-carton-excellence-award/2023-2/enter/.
