Dried fruit and nut packaging and blueberry packaging receive recognition at industry awards
The Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards were presented by the d by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) on 6 May, celebrating companies and individuals making a significant difference in packaging across Australia and New Zealand.
While the 11 PIDA awards cover packaging excellence from all sectors, fresh produce and dried fruit and nut packaging was represented in the Food Packaging Design Category.
The Gold winner of the 2025 Food Packaging Design award was Woolworths Food’s Macro Health Food box-bottom paper bags and the Bronze award went to Opal for paper-based food and fresh produce punnet.
Macro, a Woolworths brand, introduced a flat box-bottom stand up paper bag for dried fruits and nuts – which is a first in the Australian market – in response consumer expectations for reduced plastic and recyclability.
Macro replaced its existing soft plastic packaging with a kerbside recyclable paper-based alternative, incorporating advanced barrier technology for product freshness.
The flat box-bottom stand up bag format was optimised for shelf presentation and transport efficiency. This efficient design helps to reduce waste and transportation costs. The transition to paper results in an 86 per cent reduction in plastic usage, saving 96 tonnes of plastic annually across 12mn packs.
Opal’s paper-based, kerbside recyclable fresh produce punnets were designed with Mountain Blue as an alternative to plastic containers, feature a unique transparent film produced from wood pulp, allowing customers to easily view blueberries.
By using FSC-certified materials, the packaging further reinforced a commitment to sustainability, ensuring the materials come from responsibly managed forests.
