Votes pile up for packaging crimes

Shoppers at the Whangarei Farmers Market have the chance to vote for New Zealand's best and worst packaging, and to prove there is more to green wrapping than meets the eye.

Sophie Ward and Gina Dempster, from Wanaka Wastebusters, will be at the market tomorrow with examples of all 16 finalists in the 2012 Unpackit Packaging Awards, taking votes and talking to people about packaging.

"Less than 1 per cent separates the leaders for the Best Packaging Award: Potatopak (compostable takeaway containers made from waste potato starch) and Nude Food Movers (recyclable compartmentalised lunch boxes).

"The Worst Packaging Award is even closer, with Sunsweet Ones (individually wrapped prunes) and plastic-wrapped veges on a meat tray neck-and-neck," Ms Ward said.

Many of the nominations for Unpackit's Worst Packaging Award this year were for green businesses whose packaging did not live up to the branding of their product.

"Consumers are getting more and more savvy when it comes to environmental claims. ."

" People often comment about how ridiculous and over-the-top all the packaging in the Worst Award is, and say that it is very hard to choose the worst."

Ms Ward said the competition had already attracted more than 5000 votes. .

EcoSolutions, at 3 Bank Street Whangarei, also has a display of the finalists for anyone who can't visit the Wanaka Wastebusters stand. Votes can be made online at www.unpackit.org.

The Unpackit Packaging Awards 2012 and Smart Packaging Business Workshops are run by Wanaka Wastebusters, a community enterprise which employs 20 people.