In light of Earth Day today, we delve into some packaging designs leading the way in our sustainability category.

As one of the biggest global environmental protest movements, today is all about demonstrating support for environmental protection. Below we take a look at a few of last year’s Pentawards winners leading the way in our Sustainable Design category, sponsored by UPM Raflatac.

Platinum Award: OCEANIQ by 2 Yolk - Sustainable design, Home, leisure & other markets

Winner of The 2021 Platinum award went to 2Yolk design agency for their branding and packaging design for an exclusive line of vegan laundry and cleaning products.As a nod to smart and sustainable packaging solutions championing new ways of living to protect our oceans, 2Yolk merged the words ‘Ocean’ and ‘IQ’ to form the name ‘OceanQ’.

The plastic containers are made exclusively of recycled fishnets, retrieved from oceans worldwide. Keeping those affected at the forefront of the design the label features delicate illustrations depicting the various creatures in need of our protection, emphasizing the importance of sustainability for marine life.

Find out more about 2Yolk and the design by visiting their website or find them on Instagram .

Gold Award: no label evian by evian - Sustainable design, Beverages

Evian’s first circular designed bottle is their latest innovation in sustainable packaging design. The label-free bottle is made using 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. Removing the label means cutting out any excess materials and printing, saving enormous amounts on energy in its manufacturing and producing a lot less waste.

Two years in the making, the design of this new bottle marks a major milestone in Evian’s aim to become a fully circular brand by 2025.

Find out more about Evian’s design by visiting their website or find them on Instagram .

Gold Award: Wild Refill Deodorant by Morrama - Sustainable design, Body, skin, health and beauty

Another of last year’s Gold Pentawards winners is Wild’s refillable deodorant sticks designed by Morrama. Made from aluminium and post consumer recycled plastic, this Wild case is completely custom designed to be used again and again, significantly reducing the impact consumers are having on the planet. Available to purchase online, the product is slim enough to fit through the letterbox.

For more information about the design by Morrama and Wild, visit their website or follow them on Instagram .

Gold Award: RUINART SECOND SKIN by Chic - Sustainable design, Luxury goods

Chic design were given the challenge to develop a packaging solution for champagne house Ruinart that would provide protection and luxury. The result: a protective, 99% paper, fully recyclable envelope that is exactly sculpted to the form of the bottle. The shape, moulded in three dimensions, highlights the bottle’s iconic curves with refinement, and the minimalist paper shell doubles as a soft touch and finely engraved texture, inspired by the Crayères, Ruinart’s historic cellars.

This gold winning packaging design is a major step forward for sustainable luxury, replacing gift boxes with a recyclable casing made entirely from pulped paper.

Find out more about Chic’s icolic design by visiting their website or find them on Instagram .

Gold Award: Telstra Packaging by Birdstone Collective - Sustainable design, Home, leisure & other markets

With a brief to eliminate plastics, minimise transport damage and provide an improved brand experience, Birdstone Collective designed a one-piece carton board sleeve, sized to accommodate every phone in the Telstra catalogue. Through the clever use of geometry and material behaviour, the sleeve adapts to securely encase the phone box. The remaining angles at each side reach out and fill the void within the shipping carton, eliminating rattle and protecting the precious cargo.

Additionally, this unique canvas has been used to convey the Australian phone brand and sustainability messaging to consumers. Importantly, this mono-material sleeve and the outer shipper carton can be easily recycled.

For more information about the design by Bridstone Collective, visit their website or follow them on Instagram .

Gold Award: Pedon C'è di Buono in Italia by Auge Design - Sustainable design - Food

Pedon works, packages, and distributes cereals, legumes and seeds in Italy and around the world. For the range’s complete re-design, Auge Design created an illustration style to reflect the product’s natural quality as well as its sustainable and Italian roots. Small details and aerial views over fields represent Italy, evoking its landscapes and scents.

The ink used is eco-friendly, whilst the packaging itself is realized with Crush Bean paper, obtained by processing waste of beans and 100% recyclable. Deriving from the by-products of beans, this special type of paper made by Favini reduces the use of virgin pulp from trees by 15% and greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

Find out more about shār snacks and their design journey visite their website or find them on Instagram .

Silver Award: The Prescription Paper Pill Bottle by Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness - Sustainable design, Body, skin, health and beauty

With such a high quantity of waste being produced daily in the medical and prescription sector, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness believed there was a better, more environmentally responsible way to address the problem of using plastic containers and plastic-coated boxes for prescription medication.

With over 12 months of research, testing and design, the Prescription Paper Pill Bottle features no plastic, no artificial glue or coatings, and no toxic dyes, meaning the innovative bottles can be entirely composted to enrich soil. Furthermore, the bottles meet the FDA’s requirements for water, light, and child resistance. This new design means doctors and pharmacists can provide medication in order to help patients without harming the environment.

For more information about Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, visit their website or follow them on Instagram .