The Pentawards annual competition, dedicated to recognising global packaging design excellence, has announced its shortlist, featuring innovations in beauty and health packaging in the sustainable design category.
The shortlist announcement comes during Plastic Free July, a key initiative started by the Plastic Free Foundation that is working towards its vision of a world free of plastic waste. Even using recycled plastics comes with its own set of challenges, including the fact that it is energy intensive and costly, so projects like these are paving the way for a sustainable future accessible to brands big and small.
An exemplary plastic free entry from the Pentawards 2024 shortlist is the Wool Gusset Envelope by Woola. Offering up a sustainable alternative to bubble wrap, Woola uses protective padding made of waste wool sourced directly from farmers in Estonia, who would otherwise burn or bury it. Used especially for shipping beauty, skincare and health goods to consumers, the packaging ensures safe transit and carries a sustainable message.
Also in this year’s shortlist is Nolla, an extremely conscious ecological brand for cosmetics which exists to offer plastic-free alternatives for bathroom routines. Nolla worked with DesignRepublic on its visual identity, which would appear on the packaging, social networks, and website.
The packaging defies the toned-down tropes of eco-cosmetics and uses flashy colours, minimal graphics and bold fonts. The recurring graphical element on the packaging is the 'O' from the name Nolla (Nolla means zero in Finnish), symbolising the zero use of plastics and the zero use of non-natural elements.
Kendo Brands made it onto the shortlist with its work on Lip Lab Custom Butter Balm, a trimline lip balm component entirely made of aluminium, including the mechanism and cup, which are historically made of plastic. Since its made from a mono-material, it is completely recyclable, as is its secondary packaging which is made from FSC certified paperboard.
Head of Pentawards Adam Ryan says: “We are delighted to be able to spotlight more innovative, plastic-free packaging projects every year, especially in Plastic Free July when raising awareness of sustainable alternative is particularly important. It was a pleasure to experience the shortlisted entries in person at our two day judging event last week.”
The rest of the shortlist can be found here, with winners being announced at the Pentawards Gala Ceremony, Magazine London on Friday 25 October.