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Product Design students celebrate success at the WPO WorldStar Global Packaging Awards

A total of 14 BSc (Hons) Product Design students were recognised at this year’s WPO WorldStar Global Packaging Awards collecting 15 awards in total across multiple categories.

WorldStar Global Packaging Awards Student Logo
WorldStar Student: The Global Packaging Awards (Credit: WPO)

The WPO WorldStar Global Packaging Awards is an annual competition designed to showcase new and emerging talent in the field of packaging design. This year, BSc (Hons) Product Design students were invited to take part. They competed with students from over 30 countries and had their work assessed in several categories ⁠— ranging from marketing appeal, sustainability, and 'save food' packaging.

Fourteen NTU students won 15 awards across multiple categories, including Tyler Mason who received a prestigious Certificate of Merit (for being in the Top 13 design solutions in the entire competition), and Charlotte Bradford, who received a Bronze Award (Top 3 in the world) in the 'Save Food' packaging category. Overall, NTU received the highest number of awards out of all of the UK institutions in the competition.

Students were challenged to communicate the potential benefit of their design packaging solution whilst being assessed on other crucial elements of packaging design: degree of innovation, sales appeal/graphical appearance, sustainability, ease of processing/manufacturing, functionality, efficiency and overall impression.

13 NTU students received Certificates of Recognition: a category that draws attention to pioneering and exciting design ideas. Designs submitted included a reusable and fully recycled drinks carrier, a brand of modular aluminium packaging containers for healthcare products, and a sustainable method for storing toy cars.

Barking Heads by Tyler Mason
Barking Heads – Sustainable Pet Food Packaging (Credit: Tyler Mason)

Speaking about his Certificate Of Merit award winning design, Tyler Mason said:

"The Barking Heads pet food packaging is an innovative and sustainable solution for the pet food market. Made entirely from biodegradable cardboard, it is easy to use, versatile, and easy to transport. Designed with the environment in mind, it is 100% recyclable, and its unique shape minimizes shipping and storage costs, reducing its carbon footprint.

It allows pet owners to easily pour food into bowls or use as a feeding tray, making it perfect for use at home, in the park, or on the go. The packaging is completely free of glue or adhesives, making it a truly environmentally-friendly option."

Charlotte Bradford, who was awarded a bronze award in the Save Food Packaging Award category, as well as a certificate of recognition reflected on her project:

“Following the project’s success at the IOM3 Starpack Student competition, it was possible to enter into the WorldStar Student competition. Receiving the Bronze award for the ‘Save Food’ category is a huge honour, and it is great to have my work displayed alongside so many other incredible projects.

In the UK, milk has the largest CO2e associated with its waste, generating 2 million tonnes of CO2e each year. This milk bottle helps to reduce household food waste by altering the shape and labelling, saving up to 83,000 tonnes of milk yearly.

The design features an improved surface area to volume ratio that reduces temperature change by minimising opportunity and thermochromic pigment which indicates temperatures reaching 5oC and above to warn consumers of their home fridge temperatures. It encourages change to 4oC to optimise all foods shelf life within the fridge. The solution is also made of 100% PET making it fully kerbside recyclable and further reducing the effects on the environment.”

Charlotte Bradford - Milk Container
Milk Container (Credit: Charlotte Bradford)

Students were led through their projects/entries by Dr Luke Siena, Lecturer in Product Design:

“The WPO WorldStar Global Packaging Awards competition provides our students the opportunity to not only compete against the best in the UK, but the best students and student teams from around the world. Our students produced some incredible pieces of work and the quality of their design work has been recognised by the competition judges.”

BSc Product Design course leader Dr Joseph Stewart added:

"The recent WorldStar Student award successes are testament to the competence and relentless work ethic of BSc (Hons) Product Design students at NTU. As Course Leader, I am immensely proud of our students and how they represent the course, both internally and externally.

The aforementioned awards are the latest of many recent accolades, which include 23 Starpack 2022 Student Design Awards, The Creative Conscience Award 2022, 13 Starpack 2021 Student Design Awards, 6 WPO WorldStar Global Student Packaging Awards 2021 and The Engineers Without Borders UK Challenge Grand Prize 2021."

Congratulations to all of the students recognised in the competition:

Certificate Of Merit: Tyler Mason

Bronze Award (Save Food Packaging Category): Charlotte Bradford

Certificate Of Recognition: Zak Boardman, Charlotte Bradford, Harry Child, Ian Gilbert, Julian Hall, Sidney Hudson, Jake Inglis, Hammad Kayani, Thomas Kemp, Tina Kharoufeh, Finn Miller, Oliver Setterfield and Adam Zaki

Published on 23 January 2023
  • Subject area: Architecture and civil engineering
  • Category: Current students; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment