We are very pleased that one of our members who is employed at SHARPAK Aylesham Ltd has informed us that their Company has won the highly acclaimed ‘Gold’ award in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetables category at the Environmental Packaging Awards 2025 for its game-changing SharpTek Technology.
This latest innovation from SHARPAK ticks all the boxes for sustainability and functionality. Designed to protect and cushion delicate berries without the use of a glued absorbent pad, SharpTek is a lightweight and fully recyclable mono-material tray that reduces packaging weight by 17%*, is designed for recycling and by eliminating the glued pad, moves berry packaging from a pEPR RAM rating¹ of Amber to Green.
The Environmental Packaging Awards celebrate the very best in sustainable innovation across 20 categories, recognising achievements in FMCG packaging, business performance, and sustainable innovation. Winners are selected through a detailed assessment of both data and physical pack design. The prestigious Gold award is reserved for exceptional submissions that set a new benchmark for the industry. It represents the highest accolade and is only awarded to entries that genuinely raise the standard for the entire industry.
Commenting on the Award, Chris Curran, MD of SHARPAK Aylesham Ltd said. “This is a fantastic achievement that wouldn’t have been possible without the enormous efforts of the entire team. Receiving such an accolade from the industry reflects our ongoing commitment and our desire to push boundaries to deliver packaging solutions that make a positive environmental change without compromising functionality or quality. I’m extremely proud to lead such an innovative and dedicated group of people.”
SharpTek is the culmination of years of meticulous development and rigorous testing, focused on rethinking what is possible with mono-material PET, typically known for its rigidity. The primary technical challenge was crafting a soft base from a fully recyclable material that could protect and cushion delicate berries whilst eradicating the need for a glued pad. This achievement involved significant innovations in tooling design and tray manufacturing processes. The result is a tray that represents a step change in the industry and eradicates hundreds of tonnes of packaging from the Fresh Produce supply chain.
*Compared to the current equivalent tray with a paper pad
¹The pEPR RAM rating refers to a classification system used to evaluate the environmental impact of packaging materials