Here are all the winners of Packnorth Award 2025!
Interest was high when the Packnorth Award 2025 winners were announced at Empack on October 1. Thirteen exciting packaging solutions were honored by the jury, which had evaluated over forty entries – some in multiple categories. The awards were presented by jury chair Bo Wallteg.
All participating entries were exhibited in the well-visited Packnorth Award booth. Since one of the main goals of the competition is to showcase breadth and raise awareness of Nordic packaging innovation, it was important to display every submitted entry. Furthermore, from October 7–9, the entries was also exhibited at Sign&Print Scandinavia in the fairgrounds in Kista.
One of this year’s new categories was Advent Calendars, which kickstarted with a flurry of creative submissions. Take-away packaging was also a new addition, and drew strong interest.
Below are the winners and the jury’s justifications.
GRAND PRIZE 2025
Winner: Wellplast, Sweden
Jury’s justification: The jury had no hesitation awarding the Packnorth Award Grand Prize 2025 to Wellplast for their medical-technology tray that also adapts to other use cases. This polypropylene solution brings multiple advantages in both environmental impact and production, with the possibility for increased automation and clean-room packing. It’s a monomaterial design with many benefits.
Category: Advent Calendars
Karamel Kompagniet – “Build-your-own” Christmas calendar 2025, All Creative, Denmark
Jury’s justification: A beautiful and tidy 3D calendar with high “coziness” factor. It’s engaging and receives extra points for actual reusability. The material is FSC-certified. A worthy winner in strong competition.
Category: Luxury Packaging
Diplomático Glass Box – Motherland, Sweden
Jury’s justification: A very refined and well-crafted package produced using Gbgt Box’s special technique, achieving elegance through a simple yet thoughtful design that resonates with the target audience. The package performs beautifully both tactically and visually, with excellent shelf impact. The materials combine 100% recycled fiber and FSC-certified paper. A solid, premium concept.
Category: Food Packaging
Paper Wrapper for Panda Chocolate Bar – UPM Speciality Paper / Orkla Suomi, Finland
Jury’s justification: UPM and Orkla are joining the shift from plastic to paper with this solution, replacing a PP film with a specialty paper that includes the chocolate’s required fat barrier. Sealing is done with a cold sealing varnish, and the material is compatible with existing machines — a clear plus in the jury’s view. Simply an interesting paper-based solution.
Category: Circular & Sustainable Packaging
Muoto Twin Uncoated Fibre-series – Metsä Spring, Finland
Jury’s justification: A material that feels and looks good, presenting great food appeal. It’s a promising alternative to many non-renewable materials. With solid documentation of environmental properties, this is an interesting multi-layer structure that offers strength and barrier function without coatings.
Category: Take-Away Packaging
9-Pack Beverage Packaging – T-Emballage, Sweden
Jury’s justification: The jury appreciates a functional and eco-friendly solution built for a new market: farm shop sales. A design-optimized solution showing real creativity, perfectly aligned with modern trends. This packaging supports the sale of nine beer cans (3 liters) over the counter — a new 6-pack concept for its time.
Category: Industrial Packaging
Tray with Lid for Automated Flow – Wellplast, Sweden
Jury’s justification: This medical-technology tray is made of polypropylene and meets strict sterilization and long-term humidity requirements — suitable even for chilled and frozen items. It’s ultra-light and recyclable. The design allows stacking and efficient handling in automated processes. The opening side lets robots open and empty the tray without manual handling.
Furthermore, the package can be packed directly in clean zones, eliminating the need for repackaging, washing, or disinfecting return crates.
Category: E-Commerce Packaging
Cut it EVO Footprint Reduction – Ranpak, Sweden
Jury’s justification: The jury sees this as a packaging solution with great potential. The technology optimizes box size for its contents, which improves logistics and generates environmental benefits. In this case, the customer was able to reduce their stock from eight different package sizes to just one. Both the packaging and fill material volume are reduced. Made of corrugated board and fully recyclable.
Category: Beverage Packaging
Can Carrier for Farm Shop Sales – DS Smith, Sweden
Jury’s justification: A smart use of new opportunities in Swedish farm shop sales. This design functions both as a carry package and a display. Extra credit for collaborating with packaging students from Brobygrafiska in developing the Can Carrier. It’s rare when such cooperation results in a real product that ends up in a catalog.
Category: Bio-Based Packaging
WOODMER Seal – Ecohelix, Sweden
Jury’s justification: WOODMER is an intriguing bio-based heat-seal material with good moisture and fat barrier properties. It’s derived from forest by-products. Ecohelix is pioneering this solution. The material replaces plastic and reduces emissions by ninety percent. Developed using biomimetic methods — mimicking natural shapes and processes. The jury is positive to new material solutions that advance the bio-based industry.
Category: Future of the Packaging Industry (Student Category)
Origami Lightbulb Packaging – Beata Tapola Jakobsson & Sofie Josefsson, Haganässkolan, Älmhult
Jury’s justification: The idea of making the packaging part of the product is fascinating in the circularity conversation. This is a strong example where 80% of the packaging can be used by the consumer; the rest is recyclable. The design includes a QR code through which consumers get instructions on how to fold it into a lampshade.
Category: Nordic Bioplast Association Special Prize
WOODMER Seal – Ecohelix, Sweden
Jury’s justification: WOODMER is an intriguing bio-based heat-seal material with excellent barrier properties against moisture and fat. Based on forest by-products, it replaces plastic and cuts emissions by ninety percent. Designed using biomimicry — an innovation that mimics natural forms and processes. The jury commends new materials that push bio-based industry forward.
Category: Editor-in-Chief’s Choice
Winner 1
Prepac ReUse – Solserv, Sweden
Jury’s justification: In today’s debate climate around single-use plastics, this is an interesting solution. The trays are delivered to municipalities and Sodexo among others, where they are filled and sealed with a universal PP film that releases completely upon removal, leaving no residue. The trays are then returned for recycling to Solserv when they show wear (damage, scratches, etc.). Material is a bio-copolyester with 15% mass-balanced biocontent. The wear resistance is very high. A premium solution for reuse with closed-loop recycling at a B2B level.
Winner 2
Stadium Meal Carrier – Smurfit Westrock, Denmark
Jury’s justification: Anyone who’s ever attended a sports event knows the challenge of carrying food, drink, and snacks from the kiosk to their seat. The hands just aren’t enough. This elegant solution already in use in Denmark holds two drinks, two hot dogs, and even some snacks. Not only practical for the visitor, but likely to boost additional sales. Delivered flat but easy for staff to fold and stack before sales begin.