The German Packaging Awards 2026 have recognized 36 packaging innovations across 10 categories, highlighting the packaging industry’s increasing focus on sustainability, recyclability and regulatory readiness as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) approaches implementation.

Organized by the German Packaging Institute (dvi), this year’s awards attracted entries from more than 200 companies, with winners selected by an independent expert jury.

Sustainability Takes Center Stage

One of the most notable winners in the Sustainability as an Overall Concept category was Mondi’s decarbonized laser marking pouch, a flexible bag-in-box packaging solution developed in Austria.

Although the packaging has not yet been commercially launched, the jury recognized its combination of:

• Design for recycling
• Carbon emission reduction
• Manufacturing efficiency
• PPWR-ready packaging design

The solution was selected for its ability to support both environmental performance and operational flexibility across the packaging value chain.

Laser Marking Replaces Conventional Printing

Unlike conventional printed flexible packaging, Mondi’s concept applies product identification through laser marking during the converting process.

According to the jury, this approach eliminates the need for:

• Printing inks
• Printing plates
• Energy-intensive printing operations

The technology also reduces setup costs while allowing manufacturers to produce multiple product variants more efficiently, particularly for smaller production runs.

Designed for Improved Recyclability

The award-winning packaging combines laser marking with recyclable mono-material flexible packaging structures, including Mondi’s StripPouch concept.

The jury concluded that removing conventional printing processes can further improve packaging recyclability while supporting circular economy objectives.

A product impact assessment conducted for the packaging reportedly indicated more than 50% lower carbon dioxide emissions compared with conventional laminated printed polyethylene pouches.

PPWR Drives Packaging Innovation

The awards reflect how European packaging manufacturers are increasingly developing solutions aligned with future PPWR requirements.

Across multiple award categories, companies demonstrated growing emphasis on:

• Recyclable mono-material packaging
• Lower-carbon manufacturing
• Resource efficiency
• Circular packaging design
• Flexible production technologies

As PPWR implementation approaches, regulatory compliance is becoming an important driver of packaging innovation alongside product performance and manufacturing efficiency.

Award Ceremony Planned for November

The winners will be officially recognized during the German Packaging Awards 2026 ceremony scheduled for 19 November in Berlin.

Hosted by the German Packaging Institute (dvi) together with premium partners FACHPACK and the IGEPA Group, the event will present trophies and certificates to the winning teams.

Packaging Industry Prepares for Regulatory Change

This year’s awards illustrate how packaging innovation is increasingly focused on solutions that combine sustainability with commercial practicality.

Rather than addressing environmental performance alone, many of the winning entries demonstrate how manufacturers are integrating carbon reduction, design for recycling, production flexibility and regulatory compliance into next-generation packaging systems.

As European packaging companies prepare for the PPWR era, innovations such as recyclable mono-material structures and low-carbon converting technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in future packaging development.

Last Updated on 04/08/2026 by Jota Machinery