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.

Read more….

Courtesy of Food & Beverage Industry News
https://www.foodmag.com.au

With 246 entries from 90 educational institutions across 23 countries entering the 2026 round of the WorldStar Student Awards, the competition this year was fierce, writes AIP executive director Nerida Kelton FAIP.

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 global 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.

RECYCLE-READY TOOTHPASTE TUBE TAKES TWO
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 significant 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.

Read more….
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Courtesy of PKN Packaging News
www.packagingnews.com.au

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Monash University students win Gold and Silver at the 2025 PIDA Student Awards

Monash University are incredibly proud to celebrate two outstanding student teams from the Master of Food Science and Agribusiness program, whose innovative packaging concepts were recognised at this year’s 2025 PIDA Australasian Packaging Innovation and Design STUDENT Awards, hosted by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP).

The 2025 Gold PIDA Student Award for Monash University was awarded to Chun Ming Tsang, Queenie Wu and Keith James for their ergonomically designed, accessibility-focused water bottle concept, Chun Accessible Water Bottle.
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The 2025 Silver PIDA Student Award was awarded to Kevin Arulraj, Akshata Sukhtankar, Muniba Mehboob, Satakshi Darmwal, Suzanne Ngasseppam and Angela Jessica for Caneboost Functional Beverage, a biodegradable bagasse-based bottle transforming sugarcane by-products into a circular, sustainable packaging solution.
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Both projects were developed within FSC5051 – Innovation, Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing unit, supported by the AIP Australasian Institute of Packaging team and Monash Food Innovation’s Design team.
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A special thank you to Ralph Moyle CPP FAIP, Nerida Kelton FAIP, Prof Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPPL and Brendon Holmes from  the AIP for their contributions to the teaching program this year, through lecturing and judging the student designs.
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These achievements highlight the creativity, technical prowess, and sustainability mindset of our emerging talent, as well as their potential to shape the future of packaging.
Chun Accessible Water Bottle
Chun Ming Tsang, Keith James, Qian Qian Wu
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‘Winning the Gold award for the Chun Accessible Water Bottle represents far more than a recognition of design – it reflects a way of thinking. Throughout the development journey, I realised how critical it is to identify a real problem, analyse it in depth, and pursue innovative solutions with persistence and curiosity.
This achievement reinforces the importance of being attentive to details and continuously exploring new ideas that can improve user experience, motivating me to keep pushing boundaries and to design with purpose, empathy, and intention’.
Chun Ming Tsang

Caneboost Functional Beverage
Kevin Arulraj, Akshata Sukhtankar, Muniba Mehboob, Satakshi Darmwal, Suzanne Ngasseppam, Angela Jessica
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‘ Winning a Silver Award in the 2025 PIDA Student Awards for CaneBoost is an incredibly meaningful milestone for us. This recognition validates the hard work, experimentation, and teamwork that went into creating a beverage and packaging solution that champions both health and sustainability.  From the beginning, we set out to develop a product that genuinely reflects circular economy principles by using compostable bagasse packaging and rethinking how sugarcane, a widely available resource, could be transformed into something functional and future-focused.
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One of the most exciting elements of our project was integrating the innovative Mimica Labs freshness-indicating cap. This technology not only elevated the user experience but also aligned perfectly with our mission to reduce waste and improve food safety. It pushed us to think beyond traditional packaging and explore how smart design can positively influence everyday behaviour.
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More than anything, this award highlights the power of collaboration. CaneBoost was shaped by diverse skills, perspectives, and a shared commitment to creating something impactful. We are incredibly grateful to Monash Food Innovation for believing in our idea, supporting our development journey, and putting us forward for this opportunity.  We also thank the AIP for recognising our efforts and giving us a platform on the global stage.  This achievement inspires us to keep pushing for sustainable, innovative solutions, and we can’t wait to see what happens next . ‘
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“The AIP has been an invaluable contributor to Monash University’s Master of Food Science and Agribusiness course. An ‘industry informed’ unit within the masters, FSC5051 – Innovation, Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing inspires students to bring a new food product to life inclusive of the all important pack design. AIP experts guest lecture in this unit and their expertise brings an essential government and industry perspective to the curriculum, providing students with up-to-date knowledge on packaging regulations, sustainability frameworks, and accurate on-pack communication. AIP’s involvement strengthens Monash’s ability to develop graduates who understand the complexities of modern packaging and the real-world challenges of commercialising innovative food and beverage products that can be ‘better for earth’.
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For Monash students, winning a PIDA Award is genuinely special. It shows that the work they created within a university unit meets national industry standards. It boosts their confidence, opens doors for their career development, and gives them recognition from the industry they aspire to join. For the students that are cited, it is also a stepping stone to the international WorldStar Student Awards, highlighting the global relevance of their achievements in innovative and sustainable packaging design. “
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Rod Heath, General Manager Industry and Education, Monash Food Innovation

Fresh Herbs, Fresher Packaging receives overall Bronze and Silver for food packaging
In an Australian-first a team of Industrial Design students from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Cameron Campbell, Nadia De Fazio and Cynthia Mullaly, entered a Save Food Packaging design into the WorldStar Student awards that went on to take out a Bronze Overall and a Silver in the Food Packaging category.

The team identified that while the current packaging of fresh herbs is lightweight and effective for transporting from farm to store, once it enters the home it is ineffective at keeping the herbs from deteriorating. The Fresh Herbs, Fresher Packaging was designed to meet the AIP Save Food Packaging design principles.

Full size fresh herbs are chosen by both professional chefs and home cooks alike for their aroma, flavour and texture which they add to any dish. But according to End Food Waste Australia, fresh herbs are among the second most wasted food in the country.
Chefs often use a ‘wet-paper-towel’ method for preserving the quality of numerous herbs, which one of our group members was exposed to during their career in hospitality.

The team identified a few key objectives when approaching the design of packaging for fresh herbs:

• Mimic the effectiveness of the ‘wet-paper-towel’ method.
• Have herb quality viewable from outside package as with current bouquet.
• Fit a full-size herb bunch with stem intact.
• Not be too different from current offerings that it will scare off consumers from trying it.

The final package achieves the above with a few added features:

• Rigid pack eliminated crushing during transit and in fridge.
• Plantable seed tab encourages the consumer to grow own herbs.
• On pack communication teaches recipes and methods for using herbs since they are lasting so long.
• Paper pulp packaging aesthetically appeals to the eco conscious and is completely recyclable.
• Packaging is stackable for secondary packing.

During design development the wet paper towel method was imitated using a similar environment to the proposed design solution and the herb quality was indistinguishable from fresh store-bought herbs after being stored in the fridge for 5 weeks.

“By embedding academic research and industry expert insights into the RMIT Industrial Design Studio, we successfully trialled the Save Food Packaging design criteria resources. Our Industrial Design students developed sustainable packaging solutions that significantly reduce food waste, earning recognition through national and international awards. These industry-embedded engagements with the AIP education team, guided by award-winning research, are a true testament to the positive impact on our future people and places.” Dr Caroline Francis, Interim Associate Dean of Industrial Design and Senior Lecturer Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours), School of Design, RMIT.

Should any TAFEs, colleges, design schools of Universities across Australia and New Zealand wish to become involved in the 2025 round of Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student awards please contact the AIP.

The global recognition saw the students receive one Bronze overall best in show, two Silver category awards (household and food packaging) and nineteen Certificates of Merit. This is a record year for Australian students and a testament to the effort that the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) puts into the next generation of packaging professionals.

The projects and packaging designs created came from AIP led projects on beverage packaging for carbonated products, save food packaging design and sustainable packaging design.

The AIP education team works with the students on their projects and their design work throughout the semester and then they are encouraged to enter the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student Awards.

Only winners from the PIDA student awards are then eligible to exclusively enter the WorldStar Student awards for Australia and New Zealand.

DOWNLOAD the Australian and New Zealand winners wrap-up brochure here…

DOWNLOAD the complete world winners brochure here…

Monash University Masters Students Shine at the 2024 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student Awards

Monash University Food Masters students have demonstrated their exceptional creativity and innovation by taking home multiple awards at the prestigious 2024 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student Awards. Developed as part of their coursework for FSC 5051—Innovation, Consumer Behaviour, and Food Marketing unit—the winning designs reflect the students’ creativity, technical acumen, and dedication to sustainability.
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Celebrating the Winning Teams
The awards acknowledge four exceptional student teams for their ground-breaking ideas:
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Gold Award – Twist n Fizz (A reusable vessel with built in powder blending mechanism)
Sushmitha Dosapati, Rashmitha Sharma Tanugula, Shyam Sree Harshitha Nandipalli, and Abhi Shantilal Balar.
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Gold Award – Zenor (A resealable can that locks in carbonation and caters for storage)
Sharvari Solanki, Ninu Sandeeka, Abhishek Satoskar, Chinmaya Mahajan, and Siddhant De.
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Silver Award – DrinkGo (Layered cardboard that locks in freshness and prolonged chilling)
Aman Tajta, Diajeng Chairina Daneswari Asror, Jialin Jiang, Tongyao Zhu, and Ziqiao Ding.
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Bronze Award – Chajusu by Kohja (Twist and release mechanism to enable beverage functionality)
Odis Lau, Wen Soug Hii, Adeline Ang, Jemima Jerrica Chen, and Katherine Marula.
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These concepts stood out for their creativity, functionality, and relevance to both Australian and global markets, exemplifying Monash University’s commitment to striving for ground breaking consumer innovation.

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See all of the 2024 student winners here…

Each year UNSW students work with the AIP to enter the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student Awards program and year on year they are recognised globally for their talented ideas. Congratulations!