Colpac Wins Cartonboard Pack of the Year at UK Packaging Awards 2025
English
Colpac (now Colpac & Sabert) has been awarded Cartonboard Pack of the Year at the UK Packaging Awards 2025. This was awarded for the company’s use of direct food contact inks to replace plastic laminate in Pret’s platter bases to improve pack recyclability, lower material usage, and reduce cost.
This custom food packaging enables simpler recycling of the platter bases, in support of the latest Recycling Assessment Methodology (RAM), food safety requirements, and elevated visual appeal.
“We are absolutely delighted to have won cartonboard pack of the year at the UK Packaging Awards! We work closely with Pret to develop packs that showcase fresh food and support the team’s sustainability goals. This project was a real team effort from many members of our team and I’m delighted to have been at the awards evening to celebrate our achievement.”
Brian Reeder, Operations Director (Flitwick) at Colpac and Sabert
By replacing fibreboard composite materials and plastic laminate with uncoated paperboard and direct food contact inks, the platters are recyclable through any paper re-pulping process. This change, alongside lightweighting the paperboard material used, is projected to achieve 9407kg* of packaging material savings/year and reduce projected Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) unit cost by an impressive 55%.
“We have built a solid partnership with Colpac and Sabert and we continue to be impressed with the team’s dedication to creating the best possible solutions to present our fresh food. The new platters look superb, and the premise of this project truly represents our pledges to make our packaging 100% recyclable and to eliminate all unnecessary single-use plastic.”
Simon Oxley, Global Head of Packaging at Pret
Judges comments included that this was an innovative and impressive entry showing a clear reduction in single use plastic. “This pack pioneers direct food contact inks while maintaining practicality and sustainability, a brilliant blend of innovation and responsibility.”
The UK Packaging Awards is the industry’s leading event recognising excellence in design, sustainability, and manufacturing. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this year’s event attracted participation from leading names across the packaging sector, from brands and retailers to manufacturers, designers, and innovators.
Colpac also won the New Packaging Award at the Sammies for this project earlier in the year and has since been working with other customers across foodservice and retail to develop packs using this technology.
Looking for more details?
For further information on this project, read our direct food contact inks case study.
