Masterpack Group has won the 31st edition of packaging innovation competition De Gouden Noot with a breakthrough application of Modified Atmosphere technology in the world of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs).

 

The Gold Winner

The group bagged the winner's trophy with the solid gold walnut inside at the award ceremony on October 6 at the event livestreamed worldwide from the Loft located at the 16th Floor of the iconic A'DAM Tower in Amsterdam. Attending were the 10 finalists, the full jury, key business relations promoting the finalists globally in their respective upcoming packaging business events and the Board Members of NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre, organiser of the contest. 

 

Presenter was the phenomenal Belgian theatre personality, economist and TV presenter Francesca Vanthielen. Before Jury Chairman prof. dr.ir. Renee Wever announced the winner, Vanthielen shared the podium in front of the cameras with each of the ten finalists, giving them the opportunity to explain the origin of their innovation to the global audience.

 

“It’s the Entropy, stupid!” A core challenge to the packaging world is to keep track of what we are doing: where and when the process of packaging takes place, as well as the consumption and the disposal of the emptied packs, NVC said in a statement. This innovation embarks on using ICT and the appropriate packaging materials, dramatically lowering the food waste and possibly also improve responsible Collect-Control and Backend-processing in the world’s supply chains, it added.

 

High-quality foodstuffs maintain their quality longest under extremely low oxygen levels. This FIBC extends the shelf life from months to years. The innovation consists of a connection 'MA Valve 125' that is sealed into the airtight inner bag. A wireless sensor can be attached to this connection, monitoring oxygen, temperature and humidity.

 

Previously, the oxygen level was measured with a needle. This required a lot of manual work and brought with it a high risk of contamination because the new liner pricked directly into the product. With the new connection and sensor, measurements are done continuously without having to puncture the FIBC.

 

Holistic innovation

NVC Chairman Dr. Armin von Keitz expressed great excitement in his welcome speech at the start of the event, as the winner was kept secret for all attending, including him. He reminded the audience that this approach comes straight from the heart and the ‘genes’ of the NVC business family, where businesses from all different backgrounds work together to improve packaging continuously and worldwide. With De Gouden Noot, NVC stimulates real "holistic" innovation in packaged products and packaging. Also the competition is not only about the winner, but even more about the process of cooperation, innovation and inspiration. NVC sincerely believes that these factors are key on the journey of mankind towards a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable world.  

 

Von Keitz also stressed the point, that organising the contest does not bring a profit to NVC. All the budget collected is spent – and even more. For this he expressed his gratitude to the extensive NVC membership of more than 500 companies worldwide. This global NVC family includes retailers, packaging suppliers, packer-filler brand owners, recycling companies, test institutes, design agencies and actually businesses from any aspect of the wonderful world of packaging. 

 

Jury Chairman Prof. Renee Wever: “Thank You for your inspirational innovations”

 

Then it was up to Chairman of the Jury Prof. dr.ir. Renee Wever to announce the final verdict. He started with a big “Thank You!” to all jury members for bringing the best of their knowledge, spirit and personality together in three formidable jury days, divided over two separate rounds. 

 

And then - even more importantly – Prof. Wever expressed his support to the many (40) businesses who had entered the contest eight months before and especially for the ten of these who survived the first gruesome round after two days of intense debate. 

 

The ten finalists attending the award ceremony had already met the fully prepared jury in the second jury round where they had been given the podium to present and defend their published finalist innovation. This second round also took one full day. After the finalists had left that day, the Jury spent another two hours in coming to its final decision on who was going to win the Bronze, the Silver and the ultimate Gold in this 31st edition of packaging innovation contest De Gouden Noot. Given the scope of the entries, the quality of the Jury and the structure of the judgment process, De Gouden Noot arguably is the world’s most competitive packaging innovation contest.

 

Silver for daring Capsule Dispenser 

The silver award went to the Capsule Dispenser by PACKSYS GmbH. The elegant and well-conceived design may signal a significant step forward in the healthcare at home. The refillable dispenser enables patients at home to have their required medication in a controllable and easy-to-handle, yet safe manner. The pack is compatible with existing filling lines.

 

Approximately 50% of the female and 30% of the male population in Europe over the age of sixty suffer from arthrosis. In many cases everyday tasks, such as opening a jar or taking a capsule out of a blister pack, turn into a painful struggle. The PACKSYS capsule dispenser enables patients with constrained motor function of their hands to take their medication without having to seek assistance from a caregiver.

 

The dispenser ensures easy and hygienic single-dosing of pharmaceutical capsules. By pushing down the dispensing actuator, the system releases exactly one capsule into the dosing cup - which can be used for administration of the product without hand contact. 

 

Bronze for plastic bottle manufacturing process using carbon dioxide CO2 as sourcing material by Mibelle Group

 

The Bronze was won by Mibelle Group with an amazing PET bottle made on the basis of (among other ingredients) CO2 recycling. What nature can, mankind can do as well: making ethanol from CO2 (carbon dioxide). This PET bottle by Mibelle is made in a Frontend-process doing just that, on the way to achieving industrial scale biobased polymer packaging materials. Plot spoiler: only the ethanol source for the PET is sourced this way, the other molecule needed to synthesize PET is still petrol-based.

 

With the CO2 recycling technology of the start-up LanzaTech, CO2 is converted into ethanol for MEG production, which is used together with PTA to produce PET. LanzaTech has found a way to produce alcohol from this CO2 via a fermentation process, which is also used for brewing beer, for example. The CO2 recycling process uses micro-organisms that are able to convert the carbon dioxide directly into ethanol. Resultingly, around 30% of the PET bottle is made from this CO2 ‘recycling’ process.

 

The other seven great innovations who made it to the finals are: 

Bluemint steel pure by Hoffmann The Tin

Dry Molded Fiber by PulPac

FDoR (Flexo Direct on Rigid) by Van Dam Machine Europe BV

Balaton sluiting by Kraft Heinz

Duurzame papierafwasoplossing by Avery Dennison

Temcoat Liner Flow by EPG Industries

Tray to tray rPET by Hordijk Verpakkingen

 

Business tour 2022-2023 

The winner of the Gold, the Silver, the Bronze and the other seven finalists will be ‘on world tour’ the coming months to an impressive range of business events. These include the CibustecForum 2022 (25-26 October 2022), the NVC General Meeting of Members 2022 (17 November 2022), the ALL4PACK Emballage Paris 2022 (21-24 November 2022), the EmpackNL2023 (5-6 April 2023) and last but not least: interpack2023 (4-10 May 2023). 

 

The 32nd edition of packaging innovation contest De Gouden Noot starts 4 May 2023 and closes as soon as the maximum number of forty (40) entries is reached.--TradeArabia News Service