News    MEDIA RELEASE GREEN PACKAGING SCORES GOLD FOR SIMONSVLEI Simonsvlei International was recognised for their innovative and eco-conscious approach to packaging with a coveted gold medal at the Institute of Packaging South Africa's annual Gold Pack Awards ceremony last night. The Gold Pack Awards competition was established in 1975 to improve the overall design of South African packaging in order for the country to be able to compete with sophisticated foreign packaging on the home and in the export markets. The programme has grown exponentially and attracts entries from a large cross-section of the local packaging industry. Winners are also eligible for entry into the World Packaging Organisation's WORLDSTAR contest. Simonsvlei recently introduced revolutionary, multi-layered PET bottles for their Lifestyle Chenin Blanc and Lifestyle Cabernet Sauvignon. The Georgian Green and Claret bottles are produced by Mpact Plastics and offer superb clarity and an extended shelf life, while also being fully recyclable and shatterproof. The state-of-the-art technology employed during the manufacturing process leads to a reduction of 85% in packaging weight and has a significant impact on carbon emissions. Simonsvlei marketing manager Danie Terblanche spearheaded the project and has expressed his delight with the award. "As a company, we felt that it was absolutely vital to reconsider our carbon footprint and to seriously investigate at ways of being more environmentally conscious. After seeing the available technology, we had no doubt that PET bottles offer a very sensible, eco-friendly alternative for the wine industry. The introduction of these bottles received extremely positive trade and consumer feedback, but it is a great honour to also be acknowledged by a national panel of industry experts," mentions Terblanche. Gold medals are awarded to entries, which have achieved a superior standard in a specific product category. Only … gold medals were awarded in the nine categories of this year's competition.