Amcor Awarded for Excellence at 2013 PCA Packaging Design Awards

Amcor has again been recognized for excellence at the 2013 Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) Packaging Design Awards, receiving a number of accolades, including:

• Gold for the Carlton Draught Keg Can in the Beverages category
• Silver for the Neverfail in a Bag solution in the Household & Office category and Highly Commended in the Sustainability category

The awards recognize excellence in Australian packaging design and innovation across a range of categories, including Food, Beverages, Health & Beauty, Household & Office, Seasonal & Promotional and Industrial applications. Judging for all categories is based on technical excellence in all areas of the packaging design and production process, with particular focus on design and materials, environment and sustainability, consumer accessibility and innovation.

Receiving Gold, the Carlton Draught Keg Can was developed in conjunction with Amcor Innovation & Design, Cowan Packaging & Design and the Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) Brand team. The end result is a beverage can that differentiates this iconic beer in the increasingly competitive canned beverage sector. Judges were impressed by the way this pack ticked every box, saying it was a brilliant revamp that certainly increased the value of the Carlton Draught brand.

Brian Lowe, group general manager of Amcor Beverages, believes the Keg Can is an innovative way to help drive growth for this core CUB brand.

“Australian beverage manufacturers are faced with the constant challenge of finding new ways to differentiate their product and get noticed on shelf. Working together with CUB, we have found an effective way of leveraging our innovative packaging capabilities and pushing the boundaries of design to help reinvigorate Carlton Draught in a novel way,” Lowe said. “Innovation is core to our business, and we look forward to continuing this focus for our customers as we demerge from Amcor and become ‘Orora Limited’ later this year.”

Alister McCausland, CUB marketing manager, said the Keg Can was about championing the Aussie pub experience.

“You see a keg and instantly think of having a beer at the pub,” McCausland said. “We all know the pub is the best place to enjoy a fresh Carlton Draught with your mates, but for those times when grabbing a stool at the bar just isn’t possible, holding a Keg Can at home will absolutely be the next best thing.”

Amcor’s success continued with a Silver award in the Household & Office category for the Neverfail in a Bag solution. Developed by Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific in conjunction with Coca Cola Amatil (CCA), this bulk packaging of water redefines the entire supply chain, delivering benefits to suppliers, distributors, consumers and the environment. Replacing the traditional polycarbonate rigid bulk water bottles with a bulk flexible bag solution, this one-way system reduces the costs associated with handling and rehandling (i.e. return transportation, washing and refilling) of the traditional rigid plastic bottle.

Ann O’Hara, vice president and general manager of Amcor Flexibles Australia, believes this innovation will change the way people package and distribute bulk liquids and liquid products in the future.

“The opportunities for the Neverfail in a Bag system are significant, with the possibility of extending the innovation to other bulk beverage and liquid product dispensing systems, with multiple benefits for numerous stakeholders including the ease of handling for consumers, reduction of materials, optimisation of freight, transport and storage, opportunities for recycling and reduction of waste to landfill,” said O’Hara.

Amcor is also a key packaging supplier to Nestlé, who won Gold in both the Food and Consumer Accessibility categories for their Maggi Stir Fry Creations range. Packaged in Amcor’s Twin Compartment Pouch, it features a center perforation for separation of the two co-joined pouches containing different pastes and sauces. O’Hara acknowledged this award, saying “It is a pleasure to develop packaging solutions in conjunction with our customers and be recognised by the industry for new innovative designs.”

These awards follow the company’s ongoing success at the PCA Packaging Design Awards, receiving the Gold Sustainability awards in 2008 and 2010, as well as the Gold awards for Brand Design and Industrial Packaging in 2010, the Bronze award for Innovation in 2011 and the Gold award for Industrial Packaging in 2012.