The Better with Less – Design Challenge, organized by Metsä Board (a European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards headquartered in Metsä, Finland) is now in its second year. The competition inspires graphic designers from around the globe to create more environmentally-friendly packaging solutions for e-commerce, cosmetics and food. Submissions can be made in four categories – cosmetics, e-commerce, food packaging and a ‘wild card’ category. Organizers are now accepting submissions beginning Thursday, December 5, 2019 at www.betterwithless.org.
The competition invites professional packaging designers as well as packaging design students worldwide to submit entries. And the best news of all – there’s no entry fee! The first prize for the Better with Less – Design Challenge is 7,000 Euros, with a second prize 2,000 Euros and a third prize of 1,000 Euros. Metsä Board will also award one student with the opportunity for an internship with its packaging design team at its Excellence Centre in Äänekoski, Finland. The winners will be announced in the Spring of 2020.
The company added that the huge amount of plastic packaging has now become a global concern, in part, because global plastic waste in the oceans amounts to almost nine million tons annually! The Better with Less – Design Challenge is looking for innovative, sustainable and recyclable packaging solutions for everyday goods. The competition was first launched in 2017-2018 with great success. Over 300 packaging designs from 38 countries were submitted. That year’s winning design found a truly innovative, environmentally friendly cardboard alternative to plastic bubble wrap. “We need to challenge the packaging world to find new solutions – new ways of thinking and new innovations. This competition is all about reducing environmental impact without compromising brand experiences. We aim to help advance innovative and sustainable packaging design in the world,” said the competition’s Chairman and member of the jury, Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board.
Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards – including folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. Its lightweight paperboards are developed to provide better, safer and more sustainable solutions for consumer goods, as well as retail-ready and food-service applications. The company works with its customers on a global scale to provide innovate solutions for better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. The pure fresh fibres Metsä Board uses are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. The global sales network of Metsä Board supports customers worldwide, including brand owners, retailers, converters and merchants. In 2018, the company’s sales totalled 1.9 billion Euros. It has approximately 2,400 employees.
Second Annual Better with Less – Design Challenge now open for submissions
