2026 PIDA Award Finalists announced

Finalists for the 2026 round of the annual Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards have been announced, with a number of unique designs being recognised across multiple categories.

Coordinated by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA awards are designed to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand.

The 2026 finalists are...

2026 Food Packaging Design

The 2026 Food Packaging Design finalists are Primo Sliced Meats Peel & Reseal Pack: Primo Foods and Amcor Flexibles; Arctic Shield EPS Replacement: Opal ANZ; RePlay: Bonson Packaging; Everest Ice Cream Cup: BioPak; Honey Squeeze Pack: Caps & Closures; Heinz Taste Tap Dispenser: Kraft Heinz Australia; Mango Multipack: Opal ANZ & Perfection Fresh; and Auto Punnet for Tomatoes: Detpak.

2026 Beverage Packaging Design

The 2026 Beverage Packaging Design finalists are Asahi Carlton Dry 6 x 330 ml Bottle Shrink Replacement Wrap: Graphic Packaging International & Asahi Beverages; 600 ml Spring Water: Woolworths; capR: Interpack; Remedy Sodaly: MCC Label Australia (Asia Pacific); and Asahi Beverages 6 x 330 ml Bottle Basket to OTC Wrap: Graphic Packaging International.

2026 Labelling & Decoration Design

The 2026 Labelling & Decoration Design finalists are RePlay: Bonson Packaging; Material Free Decoration: Costa Group, Result Group & The Packaging Hippie; EL TORO Tequila Blanco Vok Beverages, Bickfords Australia: MCC Label Australia (Asia Pacific); Elucent Age defying Bright + Balanced range: Ego Pharmaceuticals; and Zeus St Greek Take Away Packaging: BioPak.

2026 Outside of the Box Design

The 2026 Outside of the Box Design finalists are Milk Bottle Recycling System: Popit Recycling, Martogg & Procal Dairies; Nally Folding MegaBin: Viscount; Scaling Traceability: Result Group & Australian Table Grapes Association; ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range: thinkpac; Libra Range Outer Packaging with 50% PCR LDPE: ProAmpac New Zealand; and Smart Circular Satchel: Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack & Signet.

2026 Marketing Design

2026 Marketing Design award finalists are RePlay: Bonson Packaging; Where the Fruit becomes the Campaign: Costa Group/Result Group/The Packaging Hippie; G’day Honey Anti Dust spray Propolis & Kakadu Plum: Pure Australia; JC’s Quality Foods snack nut range: CTL Packaging; and The Tasty Turkey Bangin’ Burgers raised by Ingham’s: We Are Sprout & Ingham’s Australia.

2026 Save Food Packaging Design

The 2026 Save Food Packaging Design finalists are Birds Eye Frozen Single Vegetables 825 g Range: Simplot; Austlon SG Self Sealing Shrink Bag: IPE Pack and Technology; Heinz Taste Tap Dispenser: Kraft Heinz Australia; and Paper Food Tub and Lid System: Pinnacle Packaging.

2026 Sustainable Packaging Design

The 2026 Sustainable Packaging Design finalists are Smart Circular Satchel: Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack & Signet; When the Product Becomes the Package: Costa Group, Result Group & The Packaging Hippie; Milk Bottle Recycling System: Popit Recycling, Martogg & Procal Dairies; RePlay: Bonson Packaging; Nally Folding MegaBin: Viscount; ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range: thinkpac; Coles Antibacterial Handwash 250 ml: TrendPac & Coles; Honey Squeeze Pack: Caps & Closures; CRYOVAC Recycled Content Retail Meat Trays - Sealed Air Australia, Hot Fill Bag-in-Box (BIB) Pouch: Mondelez International & CTL Packaging; Mono material HDPE tube and cap range: Impact International; Cocktail Truss Tomatoes: Costa Group, Opal & Woolworths; 600 ml Spring Water: Woolworths; and SCA Engine Lubricants: Supercheap Auto.

2026 Young Packaging Professional of the Year

The 2026 Young Packaging Professional of the Year award finalists are Pooja Ganesh Nayak, Packaging Engineer, Coles; Storm Menzies, Owner, Storm Beauty; Curtis Wakeley, Technical Packaging Specialist, Bluestar Group New Zealand; and Kelsey Smith, Managing Director, Birunji.

2026 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award

The 2026 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award finalists are David Kilpatrick MAIP, R&D, Quality & Innovation Director, Zipform Packaging; and Prof Gil Garnier, Director & Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University.

2026 Packaging Technologist of the Year

The 2026 Packaging Technologist of the Year finalists are Christopher Cester Dip.Pkg.Tech. MAIP, Senior Packaging Technologist, Flavour Makers; Marian O’Leary Dip.Pkg.Tech. MAIP, Senior Packaging Technologist, Fonterra Australia; and Nicole Roy Dip.Pkg.Tech. MAIP, Regional BDM Cold Chain ANZ, EMBALL’ISO ANZ.

2026 ABA Scholarships

The 2026 ABA Scholarship finalists are Andrew Rennie AAIP, Sales Representative, Oji Fibre Solutions NZ; Marta de Sousa Felix AAIP, Junior Packaging Technologist, Lactalis Australia; Nancy Jackson AAIP, Owner, NJD Creative; Fatemeh Arefian, Packaging Development & Sourcing Analyst, Caspak Products NZ; Mary Clare (Macey) Mapanao AAIP, Packaging Technologist, Suntory Oceania; Maisha Maliha, Packaging Scientist, DuluxGroup; Ola Wicik AAIP, Packaging Engineer, Opal Fibre Packaging Australia.

2026 AIP President Scholarship

The 2026 AIP President Scholarship finalists are Wilsen Kannan AAIP, CPP, Assistant Packaging Manager, Vinda Malaysia; and Dheeraj Kumar MAIP, CPP, Senior QC Manager, Lagata Group (Boden).

2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design

The 2026 Health, Beauty & Wellness finalists are Mono material HDPE tube & cap range: Impact International; Libra Range Outer Packaging with 50% PCR LDPE: ProAmpac New Zealand; Esmi Cleanser Butter Balm, rioa Rio Amazonas Face Wash: Bluestar Group New Zealand; Elucent Age defying Bright + Balanced range: Ego Pharmaceuticals; and Coles Antibacterial Handwash 250 ml: TrendPac & Coles.

2026 Domestic & Household Packaging Design

The 2026 Domestic & Household Packaging Design finalists are Click & Grow Garden Care System: Yates Group; Tahwalhi Towable Bodyboard: Rebel Sports Australia; Libra Range Outer Packaging with 50% PCR LDPE: ProAmpac New Zealand; and Smart Circular Satchel: Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack & Signet.

Announcement of winners

Winners will be announced at the gala Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) awards ceremony that will be held alongside foodpro on 28 July, at the Aviary, Crown Complex, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The PIDA Awards are also the exclusive feeder program for Australia and New Zealand for the WorldStar Packaging Awards run by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). All 2025 PIDA winners will be automatically eligible for entry into the 2026 WorldStar Packaging Awards competition.