Introduction
Children’s Food Trust CEO Linda Cregan says: “The good news is that as a country, we’ve taken the first step: we know we’ve got a problem. Parents don’t want to pass onto their kids the ravaging health effects of a poor diet that this generation of parents is experiencing. So now we’ve got to make sure every part of society is doing its bit to change the food environment we’ve created”. “It’s an environment which makes it so difficult for children to understand what healthy means, and for parents to push back against pester power. Whether it’s less healthy treats from well-meaning friends and relatives, junk food in vending machines right outside the swimming pool changing rooms or sugary cereals with kiddie appeal on the lowest shelves at the supermarket – it’s our new normal and everywhere we turn, we’re sending confusing messages to children.” https://wellbeinginfo.org/self-help/health/healthy-eating/
The Brief
Snacking for children is second nature, so promoting healthier fresh food-to-go choices for them is an important step in the fight to improve their health and wellbeing and reduce obesity. Packaging has an important role to play in encouraging smart food purchases. Using plastic thermoformed (i.e. plastic heated to create a specific shape), the aim is to create inspirational and colourful packaging concepts for fresh food on-the-go to help engage with children (and their parents) to choose healthier products instead of food high in sugar, salt and fat.
Feel free to add graphics on a cardboard sleeve or paper label to create fun and educational branding and information about the food with consumer appeal. The packaging should be reuseable and/or recyclable at the end of its life to help create a closed loop system (i.e. no materials have to go to landfill, but are reused in more packaging).
While bio-degradable and compostable plastics appear to be a good solution then are difficult to thermoform into a shape and not readily recycled at home or on-the-go. We would like you to consider easy to recycle polymers for your pack, like PET or PP.
Points to consider
- There is good visibility of the food, people shop with their eyes and their stomachs so it’s more appealing if you can see the product and the packaging engages and attracts children with fun graphics and information
- Allows food to be eaten easily and mess-free on the go
- Clear portion control to reduce over eating
- Packaging which enables ‘half now’, ‘half later’ eating is encouraged but not essential
- Helps to educate children and parents on smart food choices to improve health
- It’s easy to recycle
Materials to be used
Packaging to predominantly include thermoformed plastic components (vac formed is fine for prototyping if available), or flexible film as the primary packaging, to be at least 70% of the overall packaging. Other materials such as carton board sleeve or labels can be used as secondary packaging to help visualise a total pack solution like you would see on a supermarket shelf.
Tutors and pupils are encouraged to look at the Klöckner Pentplast website to see current examples of fresh food thermoformed and film packaging and also learn about our commitment to a sustainable closed loop packaging system.
Submission Details
Online registration must include upload of the developments boards and photographic evidence of the final model
The development boards (maximum of 4 boards) (uploaded as a single PDF document) need to include the following:
- A3 Research Board
- A3 Design Exploration Board
- Net of Recommended Design Solution
The photographic evidence should:
- Showcase the front, back and sides of the model
- Be shot against a white background, and in focus. These images will be used in the Starpack Award Book and may be used for additional promotion.
- A maximum of 4 images to be uploaded
- For students who are unable to supply a final model, 3D renderings and drawings are accepted.
Judging Criteria
What the judges are looking for:
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Originality and aesthetic qualities of the design, with consideration to commercial viability
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How the pack delivers the benefits to consumers and that the functionality has been considered as much as the branding
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The quality of portfolio, which must include evidence of research and the development of the design
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Designs which demonstrate awareness of environmental issues, through economic use of the material and recyclability
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Please also check out our past winners to see the standard of work required for winning entries.
In addition:
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Individual briefs may have specific conditions required by the sponsors. Please check each brief description carefully for full details.
Brief C Judges
Ben Elkington
Roxy Walker
Prize
Prize to Pupil
£100 to the winning student submitting the best solutions using plastic film or thermoformed plastic components
Awards
Following rigorous judging, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Highly Commended certificates are awarded. All entrants receive a certificate of entry.
The sponsors have the right not to award a prize if they do not think the work put forward has reached the required standard.
About Klöckner Pentaplast
KP is a plastics manufacturer with over 40 years’ experience designing and creating intelligent packaging to optimize the protection, preservation and presentation of food. From clam shell takeaway trays, to minced meat trays and strawberry punnets in the supermarket, we create packaging solutions used by millions of people across 70 countries. Additionally we manufacture barrier films and cling film to create the total pack solution on shelf.
Our products are used in lots of different food categories, such as meat and poultry, fish, bakery, convenience, produce and food to go.
We champion the reduction of food waste with supermarkets, providing them with clever and innovative efficient packaging.
Most of our rigid food trays are made from recycled content (plastic bottle flake), by supercleaning and extruding the plastic flakes into a sheet which goes into our thermoforming ovens in our factories, resulting in the end packaging product.
Contact Details
For guidance with the brief contact Roxy Walker
tel. +44 (0)7810 831 169
Resources
Website: Sustainable Food Packaging Solutions - Klockner Pentaplast (kpfilms.com)
Sustainability Strategy: Investing in Better (kpfilms.com)
Sustainability Strategy Brochure download: kp_Investing_in_Better_Brochure_052021.pdf (kpfilms.com)
Sustainability Report 2020: kp_Sustainability_Report_2020_092021_EN.pdf (kpfilms.com)
Klockner Pentaplast “Positive Plastics Pledge” : flipbook (kpfilms.com)
