DUBLIN (News release) -- Smurfit Kappa Brazil, partnering with sommelier Myriam Echeverri, has won a prestigious Red Dot Award in the category of Product Design 2021. The award recognises this packaging as one of the most innovative design projects in the world. The packaging challenge came from Wine & Bite Box to secure and protect bottles of wine and food for a growing trend of tasting boxes being delivered to customers for an at home gourmet experience.

Developed by Smurfit Kappa with 100% recyclable materials, the main advantage of the packaging design is its flexibility and the ability to accommodate different shapes and sizes of wine bottles safely, without having to use any filling materials. This design has a variety of 220 options to optimise space within the cardboard box and to accommodate different formats allowing for the wine bottle and food to fit perfectly.

Commenting on the award, Juan Guillermo Castañeda, CEO of Smurfit Kappa The Americas said: "We are extremely pleased to receive the Product Design 2021 Red Dot Award. It demonstrates that our innovative and sustainable packaging designs are making a difference. Partnerships with businesses like Wine & Bite Box are extremely important to us. We embrace the challenge to improve and develop our packaging designs to meet the changing needs of our customers and to build on our expertise."

With the growth in e-commerce during 2020, accelerated due to the pandemic, Wine & Bite Box saw an increase of 21% in sales and, currently, its products are being delivered across Brazil.

"The new packaging solution developed by Smurfit Kappa will ensure that my products arrive safely and securely to my customers, wherever in Brazil they may be, guaranteeing a positive experience from start to finish," said Myriam Echeverri, sommelier and founder of Wine & Bite Box.

"Each of my gourmet tasting boxes are unique, and that uniqueness starts with the packaging. It is a great honour to receive this award together with Smurfit Kappa, as we are not only working on something that is innovative and sustainable, but also provides the best unboxing experience for customers."

Smurfit Kappa is known for Better Planet Packaging, a portfolio of innovative packaging solutions which are designed to be more sustainable and tailored to customer needs.