Skip to content

Our categories

The German Packaging Award is organised into 10 categories. This targets competition entries more precisely and makes the awards more prestigious and meaningful. It also provides an even better platform for innovation and inventiveness in the packaging industry.

Categories and evaluation criteria

10 categories ensure that your innovation can shine in the right environment. You can submit your products or prototypes whichever category you feel is most appropriate. You can also enter your packaging solution in a second category, subject to an additional fee.

Each category has fixed criteria, which you can view here.

1. Design

  • Brand fit

  • Uniqueness

  • Quality

  • Environmental compatibility

  • Consistency

  • Clever/Smart

2. Functionality & convenience

  • Handling

  • Construction

  • Serviceability

  • Product protection

  • Anti-counterfeiting

  • Theft protection

  • Child safety

  • Migration protection

  • Added value

3. Presentation of goods

  • Display and/or promotion effect

  • Sales promotion/ purchase incentive

  • Identification & information

  • Independence/differentiation

  • Brand/category congruence

  • Construction/handling

  • Emotionality

4. Cost effectiveness

  • Process optimisation

  • Packaging material, packaging material savings

  • Minimisation of logistics and distribution costs

  • Reduction of packaging and/or disposal costs

5. Sustainability

  • Recyclability/design for recycling

  • Ecological benefits

  • Material selection and use

  • Reusability

  • Use and conservation of resources

  • Sustainability subcategories
    What is the focus of the submission in the area of sustainability?

a) Material reduction

b) Material substitution

c) Use of recycled material

d) Recyclability

e) Bioplastics and renewable raw materials

f) Reusable, refill and deposit systems

g) Energy savings

h) Overall sustainability concept (if at least three of the above points are fulfilled)

6. Logistics and material flow

  • Transport characteristics

  • Material selection

  • System optimisation

  • Handling

  • Construction

  • Product protection

  • Effect in supply chain

7. New material

  • Material substitution

  • Improved packaging properties

  • Ecological benefits

  • Technical innovation

  • Implementation in a new area

  • Economic benefits

8. Digitalisation

  • Automation solutions (components, processes)

  • Digital printing

  • Physical tools

    (sensors, digital markers, mobile robotics, drones, smart containers, etc.)

  • Virtual tools

    (supply chain event management, predictive analytics, e-management, etc.)

  • Hybrid tools (chatbots, matching platforms, etc.)

9. Packaging machines (engineering, technology, software)

  • Innovation level

  • Complexity

  • Economic efficiency

  • Ecological sustainability (resource utilisation/conservation/protection, closure/improvement

    of material and energy cycles)

  • Safety for the operator, product and environment (including hygienic design/safe cleaning

    and disinfection)

  • Improving information networking, control, regulation, machine and process monitoring

  • Ease of use/ergonomics

  • Quality of the documentation submitted (comprehensibility, completeness in terms of the

    Conveying a detailed and overall impression, ...)

10.Young talent (packaging ideas by school pupils, trainees, students)

  • Creativity/originality

  • Fulfilment of the task

  • Performance

  • Sustainability

Top