PACK EXPO 2026 Awards Put Packaging Closures, Barriers and Materials in Focus
On 20 October 2026, PMMI announced the Technology Excellence Award winners at PACK EXPO International in Chicago. The three category winners approached different problems: barrier performance, integration of closure functions and the combination of decoration with recycled material. For rigid plastic pail buyers, the useful takeaway is how to specify these objectives separately, not how to copy the award-winning products.
What won at PACK EXPO 2026
In food and beverage, Mitsui Chemicals America's TAKELAC WPB 341 water-based barrier coating took the award. PMMI named Colorcon's OneLock integrated closure, designed for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packaging, the winner in general packaging and processing. In sustainability, the award went to Amcor Rigid Packaging Solutions for its DecoFusion polyethylene tube. PMMI says the tube body can use up to 100% post-consumer recycled material; that claim concerns the base tube and should not be extended to every component.
Three questions to borrow for a plastic pail project
- What function needs to be measured? Do not ask for a "better barrier" without defining the product, storage conditions and failure you want to prevent. A sealed pail must be evaluated as a system, including its body, lid and any liner. A coating designed for a different package is not evidence that a specific bucket will meet a shelf-life target.
- Does an integrated feature improve the filling line? List what the closure must do at first opening and after reclosing. If the proposal removes a separate part, run the relevant filling and closing trial. Judge consistent seating and opening under the intended conditions rather than simply counting components.
- What exactly does a material claim cover? Identify whether a stated recycled fraction applies to the body, a layer or the complete pack. Keep it separate from print approval and from the requirements for direct food contact. Any substitution needs a defined configuration and an agreed qualification plan.
A better next step than copying a trade-show sample
Pick one measurable objective for the first trial, then compare it with your approved pack. For example, if the problem is closure application at line speed, record the intended closing equipment, observed defects and operator feedback before changing artwork or resin at the same time. The resulting comparison is more useful than a brochure claim.
For a food-pack format discussion, start with our 5L custom-printed plastic food bucket or square bucket range with matching lids. The awards referenced here are third-party developments, not technologies or performance claims for JM Bucket products.
Source: PMMI, 2026 Technology Excellence Award winners announcement, 20 October 2026.
Contact JM Bucket with your fill product, lid requirement and decoration target to discuss a sample.
Cover image: AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the event, facility or products reported.
