Vote now for the cartonboard innovations of the year
Public voting 2025 for the European Carton Excellence Award, Pro Carton Young Designers Award and Pro Carton Student Video Award competitions is now open.
Read more "
Once again this year, the Pro Carton Young Designers Award will honour ideas and solutions that come from young designers. Entries can be submitted as of now.
Since its launch in 2004, the Young Designers Award has been promoting sustainable packaging ideas by giving students from all over Europe the task of developing and designing their very own solutions made from cartonboard materials.
The competition continues to grow in popularity year on year, and 2021 is expected to be no different. Despite the global pandemic, a record number of entries were received for the 2020 awards, with over 550 cartonboard designs from 25 different European countries.
Submissions in four different categories
- Creative Cartonboard - Food & Drink Packaging
Food and beverage packaging - Creative Cartonboard - General Packaging, excluding Food & Drink
General packaging excluding food and beverage packaging - Creative Cartonboard Ideas, non-packaging
Innovative ideas for non-packaging - Save the Planet
Ideas on how to replace less sustainable materials with cardboard.
A Newcomer's Award will also be awarded to students from a university that has not yet won. Lecturers are invited to make the Young Designers Award a course project for the academic year and Pro Carton can provide free cartonboard sheets for the students.
Win an internship and a trip
The five winning participants win a trip to Austria, where they can not only visit the beautiful city of Vienna, but also visit one of Mayr-Melnhof's mills and complete an internship at Europe's largest cartonboard converter, Mayr-Melnhof Packaging.
Last year's winners included Fulfil, an innovative tampon packaging, the „Zig Zag Zig“ knife carton, a flour box with an integrated sieve, as well as the winner of the „Save the Planet“ category, padding inserts made of cardboard that are plastic protective materials - such as bubble wrap - for transporting goods, as they replace this material with environmentally friendly cardboard.
Participation in the competition is open to all full-time students from all over Europe. All entries must first be submitted online by 21 May 2021 at the latest.
The task description and competition rules are viewable here.
Pro Carton - More news
Which packaging consumers switch brands for
According to a recent survey commissioned by Pro Carton, non-recyclable or oversized packaging is a reason for many Germans to turn away from a brand. The trend towards sustainable consumption is clearly evident.
Read more "
World Recycling Day 2025: Progress and challenges in packaging recycling
On World Recycling Day 2025, the focus will be on increasing recycling rates and challenges in packaging recycling. While cardboard packaging achieves high recycling rates, the correct separation of waste remains essential for a functioning circular economy.
Read more "
Pro Carton survey: How packaging is currently perceived
A new survey by Pro Carton has analysed current attitudes towards sustainability, packaging preferences and the role of companies in tackling environmental challenges. We spoke to Winfried Mühling from Pro Carton about the results.
Read more "
European Carton Excellence Award 2025: submissions now possible
The European Carton Excellence Award 2025 starts the application phase. Companies in the cartonboard packaging industry have until 16 May 2025 to submit their innovative designs.
Read more "
The best cardboard packaging 2024
Pro Carton has now honoured the best cartonboard packaging on the market with this year's European Carton Excellence Award in Berlin.
Read more "