Gold fever

24 July 2003



Hosted by Channel 5's Jonathan Gould, the 2003 Starpack Design Awards drew to a close at the London Hilton Hotel on 26 June when over 120 designs received coveted stars. In addition to the stars, eight sponsor awards – from Pro Carton, PolyOne, RPC Group, Listgrove, Rockware Glass, Packaging News, Seven Worldwide and Total Processing and Packaging – were presented. "Once again I'm delighted that the businesses which represent all areas of packaging have risen to the challenges posed by Starpack and have delivered a raft of ground breaking designs," commented chief executive John Webb-Jenkins. "It was also a pleasure to see the outstanding entries in our two new categories – The Starpack Machinery Award and the Starpack Packaging Business of the Year Award." Winners from the UK's Starpack Awards are now eligible to further their success in the Worldstar Awards organised by the World Packaging Organisation, which will be judged later this year.


Award - Gold

Entrant - William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd

User - William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd

Category - Consumer

This pack displays exceptional ergonomic design, which incorporates a dispensing system for granular lawn treatment. The distinctive shape of the pack, the body of which is blow moulded from HDPE, with parts injection moulded from PP, presents an impressive shelf presence in large DIY outlets.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Smurfit South East

User - Oneida International Ltd

Category - Consumer

Cutlery is notoriously difficult to secure in place on a display tray but the novel use of a multi-purpose, 'invisible' device overcomes this problem to secure all shapes and sizes of cutlery. The pack designs help to reduce manufacturing costs and offers superb consumer con-venience.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Royal Mail

User - Health Sector

Category - Transit & Industrial

Safebox is a unique design solution for 'one stop' diagnostic specimens, safely and economically secured for transportation and delivery to patients, surgeries and laboratories. Safebox comprises two elements – a clear polycarbonate inner that provides protection for specimens and a PP outer with a separate document compartment.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Nichols Foods & Masterfoods

User - Nichols Foods & Masterfoods

Category - Consumer

The design overcomes a number of technical difficulties to achieve a spherical shape from PET that has not previously been achieved. A clear APET tray was developed that enables the jar to sit neatly into place for safe transportation, while also optimising impact. This stunning design also features brilliant shrink sleeve technology.

Award - Gold

Entrant - PaperFoam bv

User - Motorola

Category - Consumer Family

Each box makes impressive use of starch base forming which offers not just functionality but also echoes the benefits of each product. The use of sustainable crops and the reduction in materials required to safely despatch and store phones is environment friendly, while offering a number of cost benefits to the manufacturer.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Challenge Packaging Ltd

User - Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd

Category - Display & Collation

Demonstrating excellent use of large format litho 4-colour printed 150gsm art paper with seal to produce a rigid and robust display that offers outstanding visual impact for the product and the brand. All parts are diecut on hand platens and fully assembled for packing into B flute transit outers.

Award - Pro Carton Award for Best in Creative Cartonboard Packaging - Non Food

Entrant - Robor Cartons Ltd

User - S C Johnson

Category - Consumer

The innovative approach of using a film window to contain the product between two halves of the folded cartonboard sleeve made this carton stand out. It clearly optimises packaging materials and production efficiency, while at the same time achieving a tamper-proof solution. The colourful and attractive graphics underline the simplicity and effectiveness of the design.

Award - Packaging News Award for the pack offering the Best in Consumer Convenience

Entrant - Anson Packaging Ltd

User - Park Cake Bakeries Ltd

Category - Consumer

An interesting design using plastics rather than glass for alcoholic shot desserts. High clarity is maintained through the use of APET and a clear outer carton ensures that the product can be seen at all angles.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Molins ITC Machines

User - Sainsbury's Supermarkets

Category - Consumer

A unique design offering consumer convenience and ease of use that represents a step forward in ground coffee pack design, enabling users to prepare a quality cup of fresh, roast and ground coffee without any mess in only 3-4 minutes. The pack design incorporates space for branding by individual retailer or coffee producer.

Award - Gold

Entrant - RPC Containers Ltd & FutureBrand

User - Nestlé UK Ltd

Category - Consumer

An elegantly shaped pack that would not be out of place on a dining table, this design for Nestlé's After Eight chocolates is an original format for an established brand. An injection moulded body and lid creates a unique curved form that is coupled with a base unit that holds the trays in place.

Award - Gold

Entrant - Tin Horse & ICI Paints

User - ICI Paints

Category - Consumer

Combining thoughtful ergonomic design and good use of materials, this pack incorporates a brush wipe to help the novice user as well as a brush rest to prevent drips. A screw-top lid eliminates the need for a separate tool to open the pack, while also helping to prevent accidental spillages.

Award - Gold and Technical Innovation

Entrant - Sealed Air Ltd

User - Research Machines

Category - Transit & Industrial

An unequalled solution for the packaging and transportation of desktop PCs. The design uses Stratocell, which can with-stand multiple drops, and the pack is reusable and recyclable, resulting in an environmentally conscious packaging system. The pack is functional and provides high perfor-mance, easy handling and good economics.

Award - Gold and RPC Award for the Designer / Design House of the Year

Entrant - PI3 & Presentation Products Ltd

User - Diageo Global Duty Free

Category - Consumer

Clever use of materials creates a tactile and interesting presentation pack for use on in-flight trolleys. Demonstrating an efficient use of space and materials, each 20cl bottle slots into a designated receptacle. The use of a magnetic closure completes a well-presented pack.

Award - The Total Processing & Packaging 2004 Business of the Year Award

Entrant - Boxes Prestige

Presented for the company's skill and expertise in diversifying successfully from the gift, toiletries and cosmetics markets into the manufacture of confectionery packaging. The result has been a 33% rise in company turnover, boosted by significant new business wins and involvement in the launch of two major products every year.

Award - Starpack Machinery Award 2003

Entrant - Field Packaging Systems

Field Packaging Systems special carton erecting system for Nestlé After Eight mints concertina pack is an excellent example of how equipment development has enabled a new packaging concept to enter the market. The erection of the concertina base combines new technology with solid engineering.

Award - Fresh Thinking Award for Innovation in Glass Packaging

Entrant - Wm Grant's & Sons

User - Wm Grant's & Sons

Category - Consumer

Boasting excellent technical innovation, the staggered split line has allowed the producer to get a very high quality of embossing on the front of the pack, thus retaining brand image on this lightweight glass. The redesign of classic 1.5l and 75cl triangular bottles makes use of premium embossing and improved visual quality and label application.

Award - Gold and Pro Carton Award for Best in Creative Cartonboard Packaging - Food

Entrant - Field Packaging Bradford

User - Allied Distillers Ltd

Category - Consumer

The constructional capabilities of cartonboard are used to provide a convenient and strong packaging solution in this carton, while enabling an attractive open display format made from one piece of cartonboard, plus an ingenious non-slip band. This carton provides easy and compact stacking and transportation.

Award - Listgrove Award for Best Design Innovation

Entrant - Interbrew UK Ltd

User - Interbrew UK Ltd

Category - Consumer

This is the first UK launch of a draught beer barrel, featuring specially designed tap dispenser, which gives consistent draught beer at home for up to 28 days. An eye catching and dazzling designed to preserve the quality of larger quantities of lager, the design also incorporates the clever use of a handle to stabilise the barrel in use.

Award - PolyOne Award for the Most Innovative Use in Solid Masterbatch Colour in Plastics Packaging

Entrant - Worldwide Dispensers

User - NECA Chemicals 1952 Ltd

Category - Consumer

Technically advanced extrusion blowmoulding results in a product that offers not only excellent consumer appeal and ease of use but also practical benefits such as easy dosing and refill. This pack achieves maximum impact due to matching the colour in the injection moulded PP cap with the blown PE container in a striking sky blue pearlescent.

Award - Gold and Technical Innovation

Entrant - Cadbury Schweppes PLC

User - Cadbury Schweppes PLC

Category - Consumer Family

This pack is a tactile object that offers single-handed dispensing of compressed tablets or chewing gum pieces with an audible click. The simplicity of the mechanism for dispensing is impressive in a two-piece moulding. To preserve flavour and texture of the product each pack is fully shrink wrapped to create a barrier.

Award - Seven Worldwide Award for the pack offering the Best Label

Entrant - Cosi

User - Revlon

Category - Consumer

The excellent use of this neck label allows the product to be easily scanned yet also easily removed by the consumer, leaving no adhesive marks. This simple device does not detract from the style and quality of the product and makes best use of available space.


An interesting design using plastics rather than glass for alcoholic ... An interesting design using plastics rather than glass for alcoholic ...


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