Outstanding innovations in flexible packaging happen on a rather frequent basis. But each year at this time, we get to see the best in the industry as the Flexible Packaging Assn. honors the winners of its annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards.

As one of three judges for this year’s competition, I spent two days late last year immersed in printing jargon, playing with opening features and peeling apart structures with co-judges Dr. Joongmin Shin, associate professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, California Polytechnic State University, and Brian Wagner, co-founder and principal, of prominent packaging consulting firm PTIS LLC.

I can personally attest to the thorough job we did in analyzing each of the 66 packages submitted for judging. Despite the differences in our packaging knowledge and experience, all three of us were nearly unanimous in our decisions—something that doesn’t happen all that often, from my recollection. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve served as an FPA judge in the past, but can only hope I’m invited again in the future as this is one of the best run packaging competitions that exists.

In this competition, a package can win multiple awards, and in different categories. Packages can win a Highest Achievement Award (the best of the best), Gold Awards and Silver Awards. The five categories are: Packaging Excellence, Printing and Shelf Impact, Technical Innovation, Sustainability and Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging.

Winners were recognized and received their awards on Tues. night, March 13, during the FPA's annual meeting at a gala ceremony.

You can see all the winners on the Flexible Packaging Assn.’s website, including the wildly creative student award winners. But here are 10 packages that won Gold Awards in the 2018 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards competition, which is now in its 62nd year:

1. Blue Bunny’s “box pouch” hops into shopping carts (see image at top of page)

Earning the Highest Achievement Award for package manufacturer Plastic Packaging Technologies LLC, this “box pouch” helps Wells Blue Bunny ice cream treats stand out in the freezer, both in the store and at home.

Wells’ debut of a pouch in the carton-dominated frozen treats category may be the first application of flexible packaging in this category. Adding to its uniqueness, and its functionality, is a clear window so consumers can see the product quality.

Additionally, a reseal feature lets consumers keep the branded primary package until all the treats are gone. But because the package is flexible, rather than a rigid carton, it can fold down to save space in a home freezer.

This high-achieving dual-web package won four other awards, too:

Gold Award for Packaging Excellence: How this package performs on the packaging line was equally important. Wells needed the top to fully open for efficient product filling, which is difficult to do with a reclose feature. But this zipper closure—which is on the back panel to keep the front panel pristine for ultimate branding—allows that. And because of this pouch design, Wells is able to create the final top seal on a simple band sealer.

Gold Award for Sustainability: The pouch weighs 17 grams, which is 73% less than a comparable paperboard carton.

Silver Award for Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging: Plastic Packaging Technologies says this may be the first flexible package in the frozen treats section—and Packaging Digest was not able to find any evidence to dispute that.

Silver Award for Printing and Shelf Impact: Seeing the ice cream through the clear window appeals to consumers, as they like to assess a product before they buy. Also, an ultra-high-opacity white ink behind the printed design area provides brilliant graphics and colors to compete with similar looks on printed cartons.

NEXT: Want a packaging material that runs at high speed? Get on the Autobahn

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

2. Want a packaging material that runs at high speed? Get on the Autobahn

Can a material make a packaging machine go faster? Autobahn flow-wrap packaging can. This hermetically sealed structure is engineered with a high coefficient of friction (COF) that enables flow-wrappers to reach speeds approaching 400 packages per minute, without the risk of losing seal integrity.

Additionally, Autobahn uses chemistry and physics—instead of a secondary scoring process—to create an easy-open package from any location along the seal edge, for virtually effortless access to the product.

Rollprint Packaging Products won a Gold Award for Technical Innovation.

NEXT: Compostable peanut bag wins in the arena

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

3. Compostable peanut bag wins in the arena

End-of-life options for foodservice packages are leaning toward compostable solutions rather than recycling because of the likely contamination from any remaining contents. When sports stadiums look for sustainable opportunities, they now have another avenue for diverting waste from landfills and cutting waste management costs.

This certified compostable bag for peanuts in the shell replaces typical polypropylene film and is made from renewable resources. Compostability is made possible by binding a printed barrier layer and a sealant layer with a compostable water-based adhesive.

TC Transcontinental Packaging earned a Gold Award for Sustainability for this development.

NEXT: Stackable cube-efficient bag needs no other support

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

4. Stackable cube-efficient bag needs no other support

Because of the structural design that increases strength and dimensional stability, the ConservaCube package can replace rigid containers for a variety of bulk products—up to 55 pounds—sold at retail (club stores or home improvement outlets) and through ecommerce.

With four display panels for high shelf impact, ConservaCube is stackable and can ship on a pallet without the need for secondary packaging. That also makes it display-ready for stores, with a clear billboarding advantage over the typical lay-flat bag.

This mono-material polyethylene package is not only cube efficient to save on freight costs, but it is also recyclable. Built-in handles make it easy for consumers to carry and dispense the product.

ConservaCube received two Gold Awards (for Sustainability and for Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging) and two Silver Awards (for Packaging Excellence and for Technical Innovation).

NEXT: Collapsible pouch with sprayer floats with boat owners

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

5. Collapsible pouch with sprayer floats with boat owners

As a former motor-boat owner, I immediately recognized and appreciated the multiple user benefits of the stand-up pouch with a trigger sprayer for Rejuvenate Marine biodegradable cleaning products from Life Products.

Designed to replace bulky rigid bottles, the lightweight pouches stand out on shelves because they are different. They also store easily and fit into tight spaces on boats, collapsing down as product is used. This allows boat-owners to keep their cleaning supplies onboard and handy.

Puncture-resistant, the structure also stands up to the rigorous rough-and-tumble conditions of a moving watercraft, without the worry of breakage or leakage. Reverse-printed graphics withstand high-salt-water environments.

With this package, Glenroy Inc. earned a Gold Award for Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging.

NEXT: Matte lacquer helps Knorr go high-end

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

6. Matte lacquer helps Knorr go high-end

For its new Knorr One Skillet Meals, Unilever worked with American Packaging Corp. to create a pouch with a softer, more prestigious look and dark background—which is a significant departure from Knorr’s typical glossy white packaging.

American Packaging achieved this with a new process for combining matte and gloss areas on the three-ply pouch. The converter used a reverse trolley gravure cylinder to apply the matte lacquer inline with flexographic printing—and all in register with 0 trap. The high-gloss visual pop of the brand logo and product photo, along with the deep, rich image of the matte areas on package earned American Packaging a Gold Award for Printing and Shelf Impact.

NEXT: Mentos mints get bowled over by this efficient pack

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

7. Mentos mints get bowled over by this efficient pack

Extremely cube efficient for shipping and storage, the lightweight rectangular PrimaPak Share-A-Bowl package for Perfetti Van Melle’s Mentos mints is made on a modified vertical form-fill-seal machine from a single roll of film. This enables Perfetti Van Melle to cost effectively enter the bulk individually wrapped candy/mint category without the costly capital equipment expenditures associated with rigid container packaging lines.

The Mentos PrimaPak proprietary structure has a built-in peel-and-reseal lid, making it easy for consumers to access the product and then close up the package until the next consumption occasion. The unique structure also adds stability to the flexible package for a better user experience.

With six flat panels, the retail-ready stackable pack provides plenty of merchandising options and increases shelf utilization by up to 30%, which minimizes out-of-stock situations and labor for in-store restocking.

Sonoco Flexible Packaging earned three awards for this development: Gold Award for Packaging Excellence; Silver Award for Technical Innovation; and Silver Award for Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging.

NEXT: Small sachet is big on brand protection and shelf impact

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

8. Small sachet is big on brand protection and shelf impact

Rampant counterfeiting and cut-throat competition in the Asian mouth freshener market demanded Shudh Plus Ultra Mouth Freshener develop a unique high-impact package.

In a sachet small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, manufacturer Uflex used multiple design elements to create a “never seen before design” for the brand. Tactile surface? Check. Glitter? Check. Embossing? Check. Gold and Silver hot foil stamping? Check and check.

All that was achieve through a combination of rotogravure and flexographic printing, and electron beam coating on a surface-printed registered application on paper. The tactile effect was done using high solid content ink. And a special-purpose machine simultaneously produced the gold and silver hot foil stamping.

Flex Films (USA) Inc. earned two awards: Gold Award for Technical Innovation and Silver Award for Printing and Shelf Impact.

NEXT: Frozen fruit bag presents a “natural” look

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

9. Frozen fruit bag presents a “natural” look

To attain a look that adequately reflects the natural character of an organic product, vertically integrated converter ProAmpac meticulously controls the various processes in making this pouch for Sunrise Growers frozen Organic Cherry Berry Fruit Blend—from resin selection and film manufacturing to flexo printing-plate production and graphics protection.

The durable inks and surface-printed graphics on the high-stretch polyethylene film are further protected by a matte varnish/over-lacquer from damage due to rubbing and friction, as well as from the freezing temperatures.

ProAmpac received a Gold Award for Printing and Shelf Impact.

NEXT: UV surface-printed bags enjoy their day(s) in the sun

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

10. UV surface-printed bags enjoy their day(s) in the sun

The bag’s earthy, muted colors help sell Whitney Farms Organic Planting Soil. So it’s important to protect that look, especially since the product is often stored outside on pallets like most garden center goods. ProAmpac established a proprietary energy curing process to protect the surface-printed polyethylene film against color degradation from ultraviolet light (sunlight), which is key to the product’s shelf appeal. The bag is highly resistant to chemicals, too.

Using energy curable inks and a 100-line screen printing plate, ProAmpac prints eight colors on the front and three colors on the back—all in register. The printing process and bag c-folding is done all inline.

Developed specifically for large packages, a high coefficient of friction matte overcoat helps eliminate product shifting for stacked bags. The matte finish also adds an organic look and feel to the package.

ProAmpac received two awards for this application: Gold Award for Technical Innovation and Silver Award for Packaging Excellence.

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at EastPack 2018 (June 12-14; New York City). This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!