THE organisers of Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 have named GrabLok from Westpak Group as the winner of this year’s Innovation Gallery, following a record number of visitor votes cast.
Selected from a shortlist of ten innovations, the final decision was placed in the hands of attendees to the two-day exhibition. Visitors explored each finalist on the Innovation Gallery wall before scanning a QR code displayed alongside the entries to cast their vote.
GrabLok is designed to address the foodservice delivery challenge of keeping orders sealed and trusted from kitchen to customer. Supplied as a linerless label on a perforated roll, it eliminates backing paper waste, applies in a single step to any bag size, and provides tamper evidence. The innovation is said to accomplish all this while being fast enough for the demands of a busy service environment. It can also be branded or flood coated to a Pantone colour.
“To win is absolutely incredible, especially against such strong competition,” said Paul Magee, sales director at Westpak Group. “Since the rapid growth seen during Covid 19, packaging really never developed fast enough to keep up with the rise in home delivery food. GrabLok solves that. It’s linerless, tamper-evident, keeps food clean and safe, and it’s faster to operate in store. The response at the show has been incredible, with interest from QSR chains and international distributors alike.”
Taking second place was a compostable liquid sachet developed in collaboration by Futamura UK, Repaq and GK Sondermaschinenbau. Based on Futamura’s NatureFlex cellulose film technology and certified compostable in both industrial and home settings, it offers an end-of-life alternative to the multi-layer plastic structures that make conventional sachets difficult to recycle.
“This year’s Innovation Gallery presented the most exciting line-up since its launch,” said Sema Tezel Basbug, head of marketing – UK packaging portfolio at Easyfairs. “Our judging panel had a tough time narrowing the entries down to ten finalists but asking visitors to choose just one winner from such a strong and diverse shortlist proved an even tougher task.
“Congratulations to Westpak Group and Futamura on thoroughly deserved recognition. We asked visitors which innovation best represented the future of packaging, but the truth is that all ten finalists do exactly that in their own way. The future of packaging is in very safe hands.”
Easyfairs added that the standard this year was ‘exceptionally high’, with the judging panel noting the technical depth and commercial readiness of submissions. From Huhtamaki and Xampla’s plastic-free Morro coating, to Prevented Ocean Plastic’s food-safe recycled polypropylene breakthrough, and PilloPak’s glue-free Microflute LockWell tray, the shortlist reflects a sector combining sustainability ambition with real-world functionality.
