PPC Announces Winners of the 2025 Annual Paperboard Packaging Competition 

The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has announced the top winners of its monumental 82nd Annual Paperboard Packaging Competition. These folding cartons and rigid boxes represent some of the best paperboard packaging manufactured by North American converters over the past year.

Package of the Year
Quip Rev Toothbrush

Submitted by RRD Lemont

Credit: PPC

Quip’s Rev Toothbrush packaging redefines what sustainable healthcare design can look like. Built from durable C1S paperboard with aqueous coating, paired with a molded pulp tray, the package eliminates wafer seals and dramatically reduces reliance on plastic. A key innovation is the use of softly rounded carton corners, an uncommon structural choice in retail packaging, which not only enhances the brand’s modern identity but also improves handling and differentiation on the shelf. Embossed vibration-wave graphics further reinforce the toothbrush’s purpose while adding a tactile, memorable experience for consumers. Technically, the redesign reduced multiple packaging components into a streamlined system that cuts overall material costs by 70% and size by over 50%. The molded pulp tray provides intuitive organization for the brush and accessories while protecting them during transport. Combined with efficient nesting and cubing during fulfillment, the Quip Rev package proves that thoughtful engineering can deliver measurable sustainability gains and a distinct, premium look. 

Folding Carton of the Year

Goose Island Bardstown Bourbon County

Submitted by the JohnsByrne

Credit: PPC

The Goose Island Bardstown folding carton showcases how structural design can transform spirits packaging into a luxury experience. Constructed from 28pt SBS, the carton maintains the strength needed for a heavy glass bottle while delivering a flawless visual presentation. Its signature shadowbox construction, achieved through dual internal cradles at the base and lid, creates the illusion of a floating bottle, framed precisely within die-cut apertures. Achieving this effect required millimeter-perfect tolerances, ensuring stability while preserving sleek visual flow across the window openings. Finishing techniques — gold foil stamping, soft-touch coating, and spot gloss varnish — heighten the package’s premium feel, while rich green PMS inks align with brand heritage. Despite the layered complexity, careful prototyping ensured the design could be produced at scale with automated precision. Balancing artistry with manufacturability, this carton doesn’t just contain a bottle — it elevates a collaboration into an immersive unboxing experience worthy of the luxury spirits market.

Rigid Box of the Year
Bacardi MTV Video Awards

Submitted by TPC Printing & Packaging 

Credit: PP

Bacardi’s limited-edition rigid box for the MTV Video Awards is a showcase of creativity, sustainability, and craftsmanship. Unlike traditional rigid boxes that rely on magnets, foam, or plastic, this design achieves both strength and secure closure entirely with paperboard engineering. Using ESKA Mono Black chipboard laminated with Neenah Senzo paper, the package maintains a consistent texture throughout, while a custom-designed tuck-flap closure replaces magnets. Cold foil applied inline replaces conventional hot stamping, eliminating excess tooling while maintaining a striking metallic finish. Designed as a collectible for celebrities, the box graphically ties Bacardi’s iconic bat motif to the MTV partnership, even incorporating a QR code that links to a curated “Sound of Rum” playlist. Manufactured with precise die cutting and hand-finished assembly, the package is both durable and striking. Its tactile appeal, sleek black finish, and interactive digital tie-in demonstrate that eco-conscious innovation can also deliver glamour, memorability, and brand impact.

Innovation of the Year Award
Ugly Duck Paperboard Wine Bottle
Submitted by Oliver Inc.

Credit: PPC

Magnotta Winery’s Ugly Duck bottle delivers a bold reinvention of wine packaging with the world’s first commercially available bottle made entirely from recycled paperboard. Built from 35pt post-consumer recycled board wrapped around a mono-material polyethylene pouch, the design reduces carbon footprint sixfold compared to glass, lowers water use by four times, and uses 77% less plastic than an equivalent PET bottle. Technically, the package relies on three large-format printed and die-cut components, assembled into a bottle form using automated equipment at KinsBrae Packaging. Its 360-degree printable surface provides brands with full creative freedom, here transformed into a playful “ugly duck” design that draws inspiration from the classic fable. Shatterproof and lightweight at just 83 grams, the bottle is ideal for outdoor events and easily recyclable by separating the paper shell from the pouch. Both whimsical and sustainable, the Ugly Duck bottle proves that packaging innovation can disrupt tradition while delighting consumers.

Sustainability of the Year Award
Bio-Techne Retainer Kit

Submitted by Smurfit Westrock

Credit: PPC

Bio-Techne’s redesigned retainer kit demonstrates how sustainability can drive innovation, efficiency, and impact. By replacing plastic trays and components with recyclable Printkote® SBS paperboard across three kit sizes, the design saves an estimated 70,000 pounds of plastic annually. Four plastic elements were reduced to just two optimized paperboard components, simplifying manufacturing while lowering costs. A universal die-cut insert accommodates multiple vial sizes within a single structure, eliminating the need for SKU-specific inserts and streamlining fulfillment. Engineered for cold-chain distribution, the kit withstands dry-ice shipments while maintaining the security and integrity of sensitive pharmaceutical products. Its coated surface supports vivid printing, ensuring consistent branding, while integrated QR codes deliver instant access to product data. Durable, recyclable, and operationally efficient, the Bio-Techne retainer kit sets a new standard for medical packaging, striking a balance between performance, aesthetics, and sustainability.

Judges’ Award

Kiehl’s 2024 Advent Calendar

Submitted by JohnsByrne

Credit: PPC

Kiehl’s 2024 Advent Calendar transforms seasonal packaging into an eco-friendly, interactive experience. Constructed entirely from FSC Mix Candesce paperboard, the multi-layer system comprises a dark blue outer rigid box, a hinged pink inner carton, and 24 pillow packs printed with fluorescent inks. The standout innovation lies in its dual-layer reveal: perforated tear strips on the outer box unveil hidden printed messages, while strategically engineered nicks trigger the pink inner box to automatically “pop open” during the final reveal. This seamless structural choreography required meticulous die-cutting and registration, aligning exterior perforations with interior graphics. Each pillow pack was designed to optimize space while avoiding plastic trays, ensuring efficient fulfillment without sacrificing aesthetics. Finishes such as embossing, varnish contrasts, and tactile coatings enhance the premium look and feel. Marrying sustainability with delight, the calendar exemplifies how luxury beauty brands can deliver surprise, elegance, and responsibility in one extraordinary package.

Judges’ Award

Trish McEvoy Eyeshadow Replacement Envelope

Submitted by Oliver Inc.

Credit: PPC

Trish McEvoy’s eyeshadow replacement envelope demonstrates how a small package can make a major sustainability statement. Transitioning from plastic clamshells to paperboard envelopes with 12pt FSC-certified SBS, the redesign reduces plastic use by 96% while improving both product protection and consumer experience. A 7mil PET window provides rigidity and shade visibility, while strategically placed creases and glue-line adjustments ensure secure sealing without compromising usability. Structurally, the compact envelope incorporates two inserts tailored for different tray sizes, holding the delicate eye shadow firmly in place. Compared to the fragile clamshells, the new format offers greater resistance to scratching or denting, ensuring pristine product presentation. Minimalist black-and-white graphics paired with a soft-touch exterior elevate the brand’s premium aesthetic, while the matte-coated interior protects the ink finish. Beyond sustainability, the redesign reduces shipping volume and corrugated shipper usage, creating efficiencies across the supply chain. Elegant, protective, and eco-conscious, this envelope sets a new standard in cosmetics packaging.

Richard DePaul Award for Creative Design & Converting

Mathys AG Medical Hip and Knee Implant Packaging
Submitted by Graphic Packaging International

Credit: PPC

Mathys AG’s hip and knee implant packaging showcases the kind of inventive craftsmanship this award was created to honor. By eliminating polyurethane foam inlays and replacing them with a fully paperboard system, the design team achieved a recyclable, mono-material pack with a clear end-of-life pathway. The three-part construction features an outer box with easy-open perforation, an inner hinged carton, and a precision-engineered honeycomb inlay that flexes to cradle implants of varying sizes. This adaptive design reduced SKUs from five to two and simplified fulfillment by allowing pre-glued cartons to ship flat and erect quickly on site. Converting challenges — from multi-layer die-cutting to stabilizing inserts — were solved with ingenuity, creating a package that balances sustainability, efficiency, and protection. Designed with input from healthcare professionals, the structure enhances usability in surgical settings while future-proofing against evolving EU regulations. A practical triumph of creative converting.

See all the winning entries here.

Source: PPC

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