Leadership in Sustainability Innovation Award
Presented to the company with the best overall score across all three categories
Winner: Plastipak
Innovation: PPK Natura material
PPK Natura utilizes CarbonSmart™ MEG, a technology derived from waste carbon emissions through a proprietary carbon capture and transformation (CCT) process. In this process, industrial carbon emissions—such as those from steel mills or other carbon-intensive industries—are captured and converted into ethanol. The ethanol is then processed into monoethylene glycol (MEG), a key building block for PET resin. MEG is combined with terephthalic acid to create PPK Natura, a high-performance PET resin with the same properties as virgin fossil-based PET. The result is a fully recyclable material that retains the technical integrity required for a variety of packaging applications.
“We’re honored that PPK Natura has received the Plastics Sustainability Innovation Award,” said Plastipak’s Executive Managing Director Europe, Pedro Martins. “Through the use of renewable electricity and forward-thinking design, we’re driving progress in carbon reduction and fossil resource conservation while helping our customers reduce Scope 3 emissions. This award reinforces our commitment to a more sustainable future—and we’re just getting started.”
Sustainability Innovation in Design Award
Winner: PureCycle
Innovation: PureFive™ dissolution recycling process
PureCycle uses a dissolution recycling process developed by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) that separates color, odor, other plastics, and additives from PCR polypropylene waste feedstock to transform it into PureFive™ resin. This purification process helps close the loop on recycled plastics while making recycled polypropylene more accessible at scale to companies seeking more sustainable materials in their products. In 2024, PureFive™ resin was successfully used in fiber, injection molding, and thermoforming applications.
“PureCycle is honored to receive this award from the Plastics Industry Association,” said Tamsin Ettefagh, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Government for PureCycle Technologies. “The path to solving the plastic waste problem is paved with innovations, and our team at PureCycle is proud to be part of that solution. With our dissolution-based recycling process, we’re focused on providing a sustainable, drop-in solution that empowers our customers to achieve their sustainability goals.”
Sustainable Innovation in Materials Award
Winner: GreenMantra Technologies
Innovation: CERANOVUS® specialty polymer additive
GreenMantra has developed the first commercially scaled molecular recycling technology, converting 100% waste plastics into high-performance synthetic waxes and polymer additives. Unlike standard recycled plastics, CERANOVUS® additives are molecularly engineered through a proprietary process that breaks down long carbon chains in recycled polyolefin plastics into tailored shorter-chain polymers and waxes. The result: functional additives that enhance product performance, improve manufacturing efficiency, and drive greater sustainability. By seamlessly integrating into existing manufacturing processes, CERANOVUS enables industries to incorporate more recycled content while maintaining—or even improving—material quality.
“We are thrilled to receive the Plastic Sustainability Innovation Award,” said GreenMantra Technologies’ CEO, Domenic Di Mondo. “This recognition highlights the incredible work of the GreenMantra team and the real-world impact of our CERANOVUS polymer additives. With proven commercial success in roofing, paving, and drainage pipe applications, and clear environmental and market benefits, this innovation is reshaping how recycled materials are used in critical infrastructure. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and energized by the opportunities ahead.”
Sustainable Innovation in End-of-Life Award
Winner: Greyparrot
Innovation: Greyparrot Analyzer
The Greyparrot Analyzer is an AI-powered waste analytics system that revolutionizes plastic recovery by providing real-time data on material composition in sorting facilities. Using advanced computer vision, the Analyzer identifies and categorizes waste on conveyor belts, enabling operators to optimize infeed blends, improve product quality, and reduce residue loss. With 140 units deployed across 55 facilities globally, the Analyzer has identified millions of dollars in recoverable plastics previously lost to landfill.
“Data is the missing link in unlocking a truly circular economy for plastics,” said Gaspard Duthilleul, COO at Greyparrot. “Our AI waste analytics systems are introducing unprecedented waste data analytics at scale, to benefit the waste value chain. That insight is helping the waste sector recover plastic more profitably, and helping brands measure and improve their packaging’s recoverability. This award is a powerful recognition of the role waste intelligence has to play in transforming plastic waste from a global pollutant into a valuable resource.”
People’s Choice Award
Winner: SnapSlide
Innovation: SnapSlide RX Vial
The SnapSlide RX Vial redefines pharmaceutical packaging by combining child resistance with one-handed accessibility—an industry first. Designed to empower individuals with limited dexterity, SnapSlide eliminates the struggle of traditional push-and-twist closures while maintaining CPSC-certified child safety. Beyond accessibility, SnapSlide advances sustainability, using 25% less plastic than conventional vials while increasing shipping efficiency by approximately 20%.
“We are honored to receive this award. SnapSlide represents what’s possible when sustainability and accessibility are treated as equal priorities—practical solutions that serve more people, with less impact on the planet,” said SnapSlide CEO Rocky Batzel.
Innovation in Bioplastics
Winner: Floreon Technologies Ltd.
Innovation: Floreon Therma-Tech
Floreon Technology is an innovative company that emerged from a successful commercial research project with Sheffield University in the UK. Floreon’s technical team has developed expertise in using Polylactic Acid (PLA) to produce a highly robust line of biopolymers for engineering purposes. Unlike typical PLA, which is often used for disposable items, Floreon’s technology converts it into an exceptionally durable, high-performance material suitable for a wide range of applications. These include automotive, rail, marine, and aviation components, electrical and electronic parts (such as power supplies, enclosures, batteries housing, appliances, power tools, laptop, computer, and TV casings, remote controls, plugs, and sockets), building and construction, medical, and sporting equipment.
Floreon® biopolymers are intended as a sustainable substitute for fossil-based styrenic polymers such as ABS, PC-ABS, or HIPS, offering up to 7 times lower carbon footprint while maintaining and even in some cases exceeding, the physical and mechanical performance of their fossil-based counterparts.
