UPM wins Pentawards' first ever 'Supplier of the Year' category

UPM has been honoured with the Supplier of the Year award at the Pentawards 2024 competition, a global platform that recognises excellence in packaging design. The award highlights UPM’s innovative co-creation approach, commitment to sustainability, and dedication to providing industry-leading material solutions that help brands worldwide achieve their packaging goals.

The Supplier of the Year award was introduced this year for the first time, and it celebrates the pivotal role that packaging manufacturers and suppliers play in transforming design concepts into impactful, real-world packaging projects. UPM’s collaborations with customers Fazer, on the Oat rice pies packaging case, and LUMENE, on the bio-based moisturizer jar and label material case, were an integral part of this recognition, demonstrating how innovative and sustainable materials can deliver successful results for brands.

Chloe Templeman, Co-President of the Pentawards Jury and Executive Creative Director of Pearlfisher said: “UPM hit all of the criteria for the Supplier of the Year award, focusing on high-quality products and innovation with sustainability at the heart of everything they do, which made them a worthy winner.”

The judging criteria:

Creativity & innovation
Ability to bring innovative solutions, materials, or processes to the packaging industry, contributing to creative and effective design.

Quality & reliability
Evaluating the consistency of delivering high-quality, reliable products and services to clients.

Customer satisfaction & collaboration
Showcases a track record of positive relationships and effective communication with customers. Includes how well a supplier collaborates with designers and brands and is able to adapt to client requirements.

Sustainability & industry impact
Examining the supplier’s commitment to eco-friendly practices, sustainable materials and/or environmentally responsible manufacturing processes, as well as supporting general improvement of industry (via initiatives, pledges etc).

Case with LUMENE:

LUMENE’s jar and the self-adhesive label originate from renewable UPM BioVerno™ naphtha, produced by UPM in Finland. The naphtha is processed into certified renewable polypropylene by SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, and then converted both into commonly recyclable cosmetics containers and product labels printed on UPM Raflatac Forest Film™ label material.

Case with Fazer:

UPM Specialty Papers and Fazer have developed a new recyclable packaging solution for Fazer's Oat Rice Pies, replacing traditional plastic laminated packaging with UPM Confidio™ barrier paper. This innovative, heat-sealable paper is easier to recycle and maintains the protective qualities needed for food safety.