PPC Packaging Competition Spotlights Innovation, Sustainability Plastic need not apply, according to organizers of the event known to packaging experts as “the Oscars of the paperboard industry.” The competition that drew entries from across the nation and internationally was judged re- cently at the One Financial Plaza building in Springfield. “A lot of this is really art. What we have here is so re- newable and earth-friendly, and that’s our biggest story,” said Brian Westerlind, Director of Industry Affairs for the Paperboard Packaging Council. Drawing 130 entries from 35 companies large or small, the two-day 2023 North American Paperboard Packaging Competition spotlighted innovation, creativity and most of all, sustainability in product packaging.
“We’re really excited about all the creativity we have seen in the entries,” said Ben Markens, president of the Paperboard Packaging Council. According to Markens and judge Nona Woolbright, the Judges Lorrie Frear and Fred Foushee evaluate entries during the North American Paperboard Packaging Competition.
judges look for a combination of aspects: new and different approaches to packag- ing, whether they are visually appealing and perhaps most of all, whether they con- tribute to the elimination or reduction of plastics. Woolbright says that, contrary to the old adage that one “can’t judge a book by its cover,” much can be revealed about a com- pany’s packaging priorities. “In the five years I’ve been a judge, I’ve seen a reduction in use of plastics,” said Woolbright, a professor at Clemson Univer- sity in South Carolina who teaches courses in package and specialty printing. Woolbright said that to the average con- sumer, quality packaging is part of their lives — more than most ever stop to realize. “We interact every day with it, yet we almost never pay attention to it,” she said. The two-day competition at 1350 Main St. ended Tuesday. The vast majority of the 35 participating companies were from the United States, with a handful from Canada and one from Brazil. Entries were shipped to Springfield, each one accompanied by a written expla- nation of the concept behind it. It was a proposal of sorts, designed to identify the genesis of the entry and its pur- pose. “That’s really the most important part. Every box has a story,” Paperboard Pack- aging Council marketing manager Irene Costello said. In this industry-wide competition, all of the entries came from company sources, rather than through individuals. “Some of the country’s major corpora- tions are represented, but we also have
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10 September 4, 2023
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