The national competition The Best Packaging in Latvia 2023, organized by the Packaging Association of Latvia since 1996, has finished. The national competition for the best packaging takes place every year, and packaging customers, designers, manufacturers, packers and product distributors can submit their works.
This year 17 contestants with 31 packages and package series participated in the competition.
The competition traditionally consists of several stages, in which works are evaluated by both consumers and industry professionals. In September, the visitors of the international exhibition Riga Food voted for the submitted works, and in October and November – Internet users, expert jury, supporters of the competition. The jury determined their evaluations according to the criteria defined in the Regulations of the competition: construction, form, design, functionality, overall impression, quality of implementation, etc.
The visitors of the Riga Food exhibition the highest rating gave to the labels for the soft drink Rudy’s Kombucha submitted by Rudys Brewing Co LLC. In turn the packaging for Lido food products series presented by Brandbox LLC won the consumer vote on the Internet.
• The expert jury awarded the competition Grand Prix to the packaging project for the protection of packaged products with granules of mycelial composite material (applicant – Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry), the prize – participation in the international competition WorldStar For Packaging organized by the World Packaging Organization 2024.
The highest results in the competition in five categories were obtained as follows:
• Primary packaging – packaging for Free-range chicken eggs from Balticovo LLC;
• Secondary packaging – packaging for the Aranet air quality sensor from Folded LLC;
• Gift packaging – packaging for Laphroaig alcoholic beverage from VG Kvadra Pak JSC;
• Packaging series – packaging for Kyrö alcoholic beverage from VG Kvadra Pak JSC;
• Packaging project – the project of the secondary packaging of Miceli composite material submitted by the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry;
Long-time supporters of the national competition also this year gave their assessment: European Packaging Institutes Consortium (EPIC), the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, exhibition center BT1, The Green Dot Latvia, GS1 Latvia, Latvian Printing Company Association, Printing and Media Technology Industry Expert Council of Employers’ Confederation of Latvia, Packaging Certification Center of Latvia, Technology and Knowledge Transfer Department of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Latvian Designers’ Societyand Nordic Plast LLC.
The secondary packaging project of mycelial composite material submitted by Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry received the most recognition in five categories: 1st place in the category Packaging project, and Recognitions from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development in the nomination The most environmentally friendly packaging – for biodegradable packaging that promotes reduction of plastic packaging consumption and the implementation of circular economy principles, from the Technology and Knowledge Transfer Department of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies for an innovative, practical, multifunctional packaging solution, as well as from the Packaging Association of Latvia and the Latvian Designers’ Society.
Among the participants, two participants won the most prizes:
– VG Kvadra Pak JSC: one 1st place, two 2nd places and one 3rd place in the assessment of the expert jury, as well as Recognitions from GS1 for exact adherence to GS1 and ISO standards in displaying and placing the EAN-13 barcode symbol on the Advent calendar box for Anthon Berg and gift packaging for Laphroaig, Aperol Spritz, Bulldog alcoholic beverages, as well as from the Latvian Printing Company Association for the perfect execution and excellent elegance of the alcoholic beverage Laphroaig gift packaging, and the Certificate from the exhibition center BT1 for the 3rd place in the evaluation of the visitors of the Riga Food exhibition;
– Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry: Grand Prix, one 1st place and one 3rd place in the evaluation of the expert jury, as well as Recognitions for the secondary packaging project of mycelial composite material and the project for the protection of packaged products with granules of mycelial composite material from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development in the nomination The most environmentally friendly packaging, from The Green Dot Latvia for a sustainable packaging solution, from the Technology and Knowledge Transfer Department, as well as from the Packaging Association of Latvia and the Latvian Designers’ Society.
The results of the competition in all nominations, as well as the works and descriptions of the competition, can be viewed on the website of the Packaging Association of Latvia www.packaging.lv
