The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has announced the winners of the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 2026, the global packaging competition for excellence in innovation, sustainability, and technical performance across the industry.
This year, 234 winners were selected from 481 entries, representing 36 countries, reinforcing the truly international scope and relevance of the competition, Japan topped the list with 24 winners, Austria followed with 21 winners, China and Germany tied with 18 winners each, Brazil had 17 winners and Czech Republic & Slovakia recorded 12 winners.
India had seven winners – Safepack Industries (2) , ITC (3) and Packem Umasree and Nichem Solutions with one each.
Safepack’s bio-compostable barrier kraft paper for portion packs was a winner in the food category. The company’s high strength multifunctional ecofriendly wrapper, which is being touted as an alternative to 100% plastic packaging, also won in the packaging materials and components category.
Likewise, ITC’s recyclable dal pack as well as paper takaway pouches won in the food category, and baby wipes was a winner in health and personal care. Packem Umasree’s antistatic bag made from 100 recycled pet and Nichem’s biodegradable additive & masterbatch was selected for packaging materials and components were winners in packaging materials and components category.
According to Luciana Pellegrino, president of WPO, the record-breaking edition reflects the growing strategic importance of the WorldStar Awards, not only as a recognition platform, but as a catalyst for meaningful transformation in the packaging industry.
“This record edition reflects the importance of WorldStar not only in recognizing the best packaging solutions worldwide, but mainly in highlighting innovations driven by technology, sustainability, convenience, functionality, and other themes that are essential for the global development of the packaging industry. Every year, we see a significant increase both in the number of entries and in the overall quality of the submitted projects. This is a powerful opportunity to raise packaging standards and to deliver concrete solutions to critical challenges such as food waste reduction, food safety, and food preservation. Each evaluated category carries a strong commitment to building a better world, where everyone has access to high-quality products, especially safe and nutritious food.”
Soha Atallah, WorldStar Coordinator and WPO vice president of marketing, says, “WorldStar has evolved into a powerful global platform that connects innovation, responsibility, and market relevance. The diversity and technical sophistication of this year’s winners clearly show how packaging is advancing in areas such as material efficiency, circular economy, smart technologies, and consumer-centric design. These awards celebrate not only outstanding packaging, but also the vision and commitment of the professionals who are shaping the future of our industry.”
The WorldStar Awards international ceremony will take place on 8 May 2026, in Düsseldorf, Germany, during interpack (7–13 May 2026), the world’s leading trade fair for processing and packaging.
During the ceremony, WPO will also announce the winners of the Special Categories, including: President’s Award, Sustainability Award, Marketing Award and Packaging that Saves Food Award. These special recognitions highlight projects that go beyond technical excellence and demonstrate outstanding impact in environmental responsibility, communication strategy, and contribution to global food preservation.
The complete list of winners is available on the official WorldStar website: www.worldstar.org.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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