PPC honors paperboard packaging

PaperWorks Packaging Group and Graphic Packaging International were among the winners in the 68^th National Paperboard Packaging Competition, sponsored by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), a US trade association serving suppliers and converters of all forms of paperboard packaging.
 
In 2011, 31 PPC members submitted 117 packages for consideration in the overall competition.  Some 13 entries competed in the Innovation category and 15 in the Eco category.
 
The Paperboard Package of the Year award went to Cheerios and ‘Bring on the Gold’ from Graphic Packaging International.  This limited edition cereal box for the 2010 Winter Olympics hockey shoot out featured a 3D interactive hockey game on its back panel.  Even though the intricate game has many complex pieces, the carton was designed in such a way that it could be run through General Mills' high-speed packaging line, thus keeping costs to a minimum and getting the product to market quickly.

 
Folding Carton of the Year went to Mars Chocolate for its Valentine Heart Boxes, again from Graphic Packaging International.  Each unique, heart shaped box was glued to hold a bag of M&M's in place and then hand-locked via a tab on its back panel.  To keep the smallest carton from tearing when loading the M&M's bag, Graphic Packaging designed a die-cut relief area that was glued for added strength.  This carton also won the Innovation award. 
 
PaperWorks Packaging Group won the Eco award for the Crest Complete Toothpaste carton, which achieved a holographic effect by micro-embossing a common reflective coating to the boxboard.  This process not only cost less to produce than conventional holographic methods but also eliminated the need for the additional lamination step at an off-site facility, thus saving money on transportation, energy and raw materials.
 

In addition, the Judges' award was won by DISC for the Origin's Plantscription Anti-Aging Cosmetics Display, a cosmetics display for Estee Lauder created by laminating 28 layers of .024 SBS and then trimming it on a guillotine cutter.  Paperboard was selected over more traditional foamcore and wood because it could be easily recycled after use.  Rigid Box of the Year award was given to the Sobel Westex Towel Box from Taylor Box Company.  This package impressed the judges with its complex design that required multiple die-cutting and laminating steps before being painstakingly hand-assembled.