The awards, which took place on the 19th of October 2022, recognised the success of the newly sized Bisto Gravy paperboard drum solution, helping Premier Foods to lower its brand’s environmental impact by reducing the height of the drum, which was launched in the UK market last year.

Bisto Gravy paperboard drums, produced by Sonoco, are made from recycled paper fibre, and include a paperboard end. All inks and adhesives are water-based, and all materials used in the packaging are easily separable within the recycling process. This makes the packaging solution highly recyclable.

The drums give consumers 20g more gravy granules (approximately six more portions per tub) than the previous ones, for the exact same price per gram as previously, all while being presented in packaging that uses fewer resources to reduce its environmental footprint.

Commenting on the award-win, Kieren France, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Sonoco Consumer Products Europe, says: “We’re thrilled to have won this distinguished award and we are honoured to be recognised for our joint efforts together with our customer Premier Foods in making supply chains more sustainable.

“The Bisto paperboard drum is not only made from sustainable materials and is fully recyclable, it also uses less packaging while achieving a higher product fill amount.”

Philip Chadwick, Editor of Packaging News, adds: “The standard of entries this year was higher than ever, so the ultimate winners really outdid themselves. The judges were impressed with Sonoco’s dedication and commitment to creating a packaging solution that reduced the materials used. They also felt that Sonoco has unlocked and enhanced supply chain efficiency. A worthy winner against some very strong competition.”

The UK requires packaging to be made of at least 85% paperboard* in order for it to be accepted in the paper waste stream. Bisto Gravy drums exceed that requirement because they are made of 95% paperboard, allowing shoppers to dispose of all empty Bisto caddies via UK-wide kerbside recycling collections.

Hosted by Packaging News, the UK Packaging Awards takes place each year at a glamorous ceremony in Central London. This year, the event took place at the Grosvenor House London hotel.

*The U.K. currently requires at least 85% paperboard to accept packaging in the paper waste stream, with a plan to increase to 90% required by 2023. This paper-based packaging format exceeds that requirement as it is made of 95% paperboard.

Read the Sonoco & Bisto Success Story.