At the 2026 WorldStar Student Awards, Australia was placed second in the medal tally behind China for innovative packaging.
By Nerida Kelton FAIP, executive director AIP – vice president Sustainability & Save Food – WPO
With 246 entries entering the 2026 round of the WorldStar Student Awards from 90 educational institutions across 23 countries, the competition this year was fierce.
Twenty-one Australian university students from the Industrial Design School at UNSW and the Master of Food Science and Agribusiness program at Monash University took on the strong competition and received two gold, two bronze and 16 WorldStar Certificates. Australia also placed second in the medal tally behind China which is an incredible feat for such a small country.
Mint Recyclable Toothpaste Tube receives gold and bronze
The standout student from Australia was Robin Luo from the Industrial Design School, UNSW, who received a gold award in the Health and Personal Care category and a bronze award in the inaugural Accessible Packaging category for his project Mint Recyclable Toothpaste Tube.
The Mint toothpaste tube was designed in response to the waste and environmental impact caused by traditional toothpaste tubes. The mixed-media composition renders them unrecyclable through standard kerbside recycling programs and Mint aims to offer a more sustainable packaging solution.
Courtesy of Food & Beverage Industry News
https://www.foodmag.com.au