Deadline:
May 09, 2025
Location(s)
Online Turkey
Awards Gala in Istanbul, Türkiye on 18 September 2025.
Overview
The Pro Carton Young Designers Award is Europe’s leading annual young talent competition for packaging design. Focussing exclusively on cartonboard, the award plays a pioneering role in promoting sustainable packaging and innovation amongst students across Europe.
Details
Pro Carton Young Designers Award is now open for entries!
The Pro Carton Young Designers Award is Europe’s leading annual young talent competition for packaging design. Focusing exclusively on cartonboard, the award plays a pioneering role in promoting sustainable packaging and innovation amongst students across Europe. This year’s Awards Gala will take place in Istanbul on the 18th September 2025. Entries will close at midnight on Friday May 9, 2025.
The design competition is free to enter and open to all students enrolled at a European school or university.
Entries can be submitted across these categories:
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging | Food & Drink
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging | All Other
- Sustainability Award
- Public Award
What can I enter?
Entries can be submitted in 3 categories:
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging | Food & Drink: The focus lies on cartonboard as the most sustainable food and beverages packaging material and its recyclability. Give us a taste of great design!
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging | All Other – excluding Food & Drink: This category focuses on using the most sustainable packaging material for non-food packaging. Everything needs packaging, have a look around yourself and get inspired!
- Sustainability: Show us your ideas as to how cartonboard can reduce or replace plastic and help us protect nature!
What are Cartons and Cartonboard?
Folding cartons are small to medium-sized boxes made of cartonboard. They are used to package a wide range of products, from food – such as cereals, frozen and chilled foods, confectionery, baked goods, tea, coffee and other dry foods – to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and more.
Many different types of cartonboard are produced, all of which can be manufactured in different weights (grammages) and thicknesses. The type of cartonboard and fibre composition depend on the intended use and the specific requirements. Cartonboard is made up of several plies to make the best possible use of the different types of raw materials and optimise product performance.
Cartonboard is made from wood chippings (from trees) or from recycled paper and board. The wood raw material comes from sustainably managed forests. Not only are they a renewable resource, but in Europe more trees are grown than are harvested. European forests are grown and harvested in a carefully controlled and sustainable way – so successfully that European forests, where most of the raw material comes from, have grown by an area the size of Switzerland in just 10 years! Trees play an essential role in reducing climate change as they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Cartonboard is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. It is a truly sustainable packaging material and a perfect example of the circular economy.
It is also extremely flexible and versatile. It can be folded and creased into many different shapes and its print and special effects capabilities are almost infinite, from embossing and gold foiling through to 3D holographic effects.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Who can participate?
The Pro Carton Young Designers Award competition is aimed at all design students in Europe who are not working as professionals. Entrants must still be enrolled at the time of entering.
Individual entries as well as group entries (up to five students) are welcomed. There is no restriction on the number of entries. If you enter as a group, please be aware that only one group member will be invited to the Awards Gala and only one group member can take part in the practical training days. However, the person representing the group at the Awards Gala does not necessarily have to be the same person who takes part in the practical training days. All names included in the Online entry will be communicated throughout our promotional activities.
Dates
Deadline: May 09, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
What can I win?
- As one of the three main prize winners, one student per winning entry will be travelling to a leading European cartonboard manufacturer and folding carton producer for 2 Training Days. At their facilities, you will learn so much of what there is to know about creating sustainable packs for leading brands on a vast scale and you will gain priceless insights into their packaging expertise.
- 1 trophy for the group / individual and a certificate for each team member.
- International publicity and recognition.
Winners and their teacher will be invited to the Awards Gala in September. Winners will be announced on all our media channels after the event.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
