The sixth annual Packaging Innovation Award ceremony, held at the Hotel Plaza San Francisco, recognized the most innovative and sustainable packaging distributed in Chile.
Organized by Co-inventa and Laben Chile of the University of Santiago, the big winner of the day was Nestlé, which, through Savory, presented a major innovation in its ice cream cassatas.
By switching its traditional liter container from polystyrene (PS) to polypropylene (PP), and incorporating self-adhesive PP labels, the goal is to create a single-material, easily recyclable container. This smart transition ensures that the container’s functionality is maintained and its weight doesn’t increase, all while preventing the use of any unnecessary extra plastic.
The company’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by its 100% recyclability, compliance with Chile’s extended producer responsibility (REP) law, and the #ElijoReciclar (#IChoosetoRecycle) seal, which validates its market recyclability.
“This is truly a recognition of years of dedicated work. It presented a crucial technical challenge, as our primary objective is to ensure none of our packaging contributes to landfills,” explained Paula Moya, Packaging Supervisor at Nestlé’s Macul plant.
Given that Chile consumes more ice cream than any other Latin American country, the company emphasized how significantly this type of innovation benefits society.
Key attendees at the event included Dr. Rodrigo Vidal Rojas, Rector of Usach; Cristian Cuevas, Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation; Macarena Aljaro, Director of Technological Programs at Corfo; and numerous university authorities.
Attendees reflected on the crucial importance of the connection between academia, business, and the state. The Rector of the University of Santiago emphasized this, calling it “a virtuous triangle that allows us to advance in this fundamental area of sustainability.” Undersecretary Cuevas concurred, stressing that “this requires an effort from all sectors.”
In this sixth edition, Dr. María José Galotto, Director of Co-inventa, highlighted the industry’s commitment to “adapt and develop innovation in packaging that is focused on incorporating the circular economy.”
“We will continue to contribute and encourage the industry to pursue this type of development,” said Dr. Abel Guarda, director of Laben Chile.
In addition to Savory’s cassata packaging, second place went to Edelpa for its innovative 100% PE bag. This bag features four recyclable seals, and its structure provides stability and ease of handling, leading to better stacking and optimized transport logistics.
Third place was jointly awarded to Coca-Cola’s rPET bottle and Cachantún’s rPET bottle, both of which are designed using recycled materials.