We take a look back at our 2023 Sustainable Design winners to see those leading the way in sustainability within the packaging design industry. Could your design be the next one to take centre stage?

The overarching Sustainable Design category for the Pentawards competition was launched in 2021, alongside its own set of jury members which this year includes experts from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WWF-UK, UPM Raflatac, Sway, Haleon and Pearlfisher.

Through our competition, we want to showcase both those helping to bring sustainable behaviours into consumer's everyday lives as well as those pushing the boundaries in sustainable packaging with the next big thing. From your basic products like refillable cleaning sprays to sustainable luxury packaging and the latest innovations in bio-materials, we want to hear from you!

Take a look at some of last year's top winners in our Sustainable Design category:

Ecoalf by Lavernia & Cienfuegos

Sustainable Design Platinum 

Ecoalf is a Spanish sustainable fashion brand that uses fabrics made from plastic waste dumped in the sea as raw materials. For the launch of their new personal care line, they wanted to follow the brand's positioning and commitment to the environment.

The line consists of multifunctional and multi-benefit solid or powdered products with environmentally friendly ingredients and processes. By removing the need for water, this eliminated the need for plastic bottles and more sustainable packaging, as well as a reduction in weight and CO2 emissions during transport. 

All products are sold for use in specially designed reusable aluminium containers, made with eco-friendly materials. The graphics work as a communication element to explain each piece, its function and that of the line as a whole, in order to bring the final customer closer to an intelligent consumption.

Read more about Lavernia & Cienfuegos in their latest interview with us here .

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 'Cocoon' Gift Wrap by James Cropper Luxury Packaging

Sustainable Design - Luxury Goods, Gold

With its rich botanical heritage, Maison Perrier-Jouët has evolved in symbiosis with nature since 1811.

This ultra-light Gift Wrap creation is a beautiful design that seamlessly showcases how beauty and sustainability can work together in the luxury market. It marries beauty with environmental commitment seamlessly, with a unique design profile creating an organic natural feel. The cap crowning the champagne is a small petal-like collar, and the Art Nouveau inspired logo of the Maison is subtly conveyed through an intricately sculpted floral decoration. 

Read an interview with James Cropper's moulded fibre packaging designer here .

OMel by Omdesign

Sustainable Design - Branding & Consumer, Gold

Omdesign wanted to showcase their appreciation of the environment and the need to protect it to prepare for the future and help transform mindsets. So when they created their latest self-promotion gift pack, OMel, they took inspiration from a small, great being that has a huge impact on the planet.

They interpreted the way of life of solitary bees, true pollinating nomads and synonymous with hard work, to create an original piece - a network of 150 hotels!

Each Bee Om Hotel is special and will help to instill a sustainable, united and purposeful mindset. They tasted the bees’ honey (“Mel”, in Portuguese) and gave life to OMel, a pack that seeks to return to the environment a refuge for solitary bees to make it home and continue to protect the biodiversity of ecosystems.

Find out more about Omdesign here .

Method Refill + Reuse All-Purpose Cleaner by Method Products

Sustainable Design - Home, Leisure & Other Markets, Gold

This future-forward concentrates platform saves >96% plastic relative to our single use platform every time you refill it. Simply pour the concentrate into the bottle, fill with water and shake - no waiting necessary. The belief is that a well-designed product you actually want to reuse can help minimize single-use behaviour and encourage refill behaviour.

To develop the packaging, they started with the user - understanding how their behaviours and attitudes in cleaning are evolving and what it would take to create behaviour change. They evaluated a variety of different materials against safety, sustainability, durability, ship-ability, recyclability and printability. Ultimately, they were looking for a lightweight material with high consumer appeal and a way to responsibly repurpose the material at the end of its lifecycle. Aluminum seemed to unlock many of those challenges and offered infinite recyclability.

Find out more about Method's packaging here .

Distillerie Remy Piron - Cognac Découverte Perpetuelle by MAISON LINEA

Sustainable Design - Luxury Goods, Gold

The mission was to create a product that was still prestige but as natural as possible, therefore the packaging needed to perfectly reflect this conceptual and environmental approach.

To avoid material waste as far as possible, the back label is cut out from the centre of the mail label. The label is not adhesive (no glassine, with a silicone substrate), and is glued by hand using traditional glue. The stopper top is encased in natural cork using a traditional method, and the cork is left in its natural state, with no treatment used.

Its iconic shape is reminiscent of a barrel bung. There is no case, as the best packaging is the packaging you never make. Very lightweight paper (60g) serves as overwrapping and a means of communication. It is applied by hand without any glue.The outer linen paper is made by hand at Moulin du Verger (in France, near Cognac) using expertise that dates back to the 16th century.

This prestige cognac steps away from market conventions, drawing on luxury and cognac concepts to offer a more responsible, sustainable alternative. It is more local, natural and optimised.

Find out more about Maison Linea here .

PaperFoam x Half magic beauty by PaperFoam BV

Sustainable Design - Body, Health & Beauty

The goal with PaperFoam was to create a sustainable, plastic-free packaging solution. Technique PaperFoam is a combination of starch, fibre and a unique premix. PaperFoam packaging is created by injecting this mixture of ingredients into a pre-heated mold. The nature of these three ingredients makes PaperFoam a paper recyclable, as well as home and industrial compostable substitute for plastics that is even strong enough to replace EPS in some cases.

One of the latest achievements was a custom made packaging design for for client Rules Beauty. The pack has a great unboxing experience, nice presentation and the entire packaging is paper recyclable, so no need to separate waste.

Take a look at their portfolio on their website here .

As this year's competition deadline edges closer and closer, why not enter your latest designs in sustainable packaging and showcase yourself as leader in the field?

Find out more and enter the competition here .