New competition challenges designers to create more ecological packaging solutions

Billions of consumer packages are consumed globally every day, and the amount is growing. The Better with Less – Design Challenge is challenging packaging designers to create ever more environmentally-friendly, functional packaging solutions for everyday goods. The international competition jury includes renowned packaging design experts.

The international packaging design competition, organized by Metsä Board, started today. It aims to find new packaging solutions for some of the world’s most frequently used and fastest growing types of consumer packages.

Billions of consumer packages are consumed globally every day, and as the population continues to grow, so will the number of packages. The high amount of plastic used in packaging is an international concern, in part because globally the plastic waste inputs into the oceans amount annually to almost nine million tonnes.

Designers play a decisive role

Packages will continue to have an important role in protecting and promoting products in the future, but as consumption grows, it’s becoming ever more important to develop packaging solutions that enable the use of renewable, non-fossil based materials and a wiser use of resources. Metsä Board recognises that packaging designers play a decisive role in this and that environmental impacts can be reduced, for example, by making packaging lighter, using renewable materials and making recycling easier.

“Packaging design can have a big impact on the environment. We need to come up with new solutions and consider future generations – and think of ways we can create better consumer experiences that create less impact on the environment. With this competition, we aim to help advance innovative and sustainable packaging design in the world“, states the chairman of the competition jury Cyril Drouet, Design & Innovation Director, Metsä Board.

The main prize for the Better with Less – Design Challenge is EUR 10,000. The competition is also open to students, and Metsä Board will offer as an additional prize the opportunity of an internship for one student with its packaging services team in Shanghai. The finalists and the winners will be announced during Spring 2018.

Registration is open from 6 November, 2017 to the 31 March 2018, at: www.betterwithless.org.