The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)聽announced the winners of its 2026 Sustainability Innovation Awards, recognizing innovation and leadership across five categories: Leadership in Sustainability Innovation, Sustainability Innovation in Design, Sustainability Innovation in Material, Sustainability Innovation in End-of-Life, and Social Impact. This year鈥檚 winners highlight advancements across the plastics value chain鈥攆rom circular design and next-generation materials to closed-loop systems and workforce leadership.
Award recipients include:
- Leadership in Sustainability Innovation Award: LyondellBasell 鈥� LYB Cincinnati Technology Center (CTC) Circularity Lab
- Sustainability Innovation in Design Award: Greiner Packaging Corporation 鈥� K3庐 r100 self-separating cardboard-plastic packaging
- Sustainability Innovation in Material Award: Ecovaleric 鈥� e-P4HV biobased material
- Sustainability Innovation in End-of-Life Award: Plastic Ingenuity 鈥� Pharmaceutical closed-loop recycling with thermoformed trays
- Social Impact Award: Ecolopharm 鈥� Socially impactful workplace practices
鈥淭his year鈥檚 Sustainability Innovation Award winners demonstrate how sustainability is being put into action across the plastics industry鈥攆rom packaging design and material innovation to end-of-life solutions,鈥� said Patrick Krieger, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Policy at PLASTICS. 鈥淭hese award-winning innovations show what鈥檚 possible when companies focus on practical, scalable solutions that improve recyclability, expand the use of recycled content, and deliver measurable environmental impact.鈥�
鈥淔inding solutions that advance circularity takes innovation and expertise,鈥� said Harry Mavridis, Director of Product Development and Circular Design at LyondellBasell (LYB). 鈥淭he team at our Cincinnati Technology Center (CTC) Circularity Lab develops solutions for our customers across a number of industries, leveraging our innovative spirit, technical know-how and global integrated ecosystem to help meet the challenges of tomorrow, today. We are proud to be recognized by the Plastics Industry Association for our team鈥檚 work to advance circularity and sustainability.鈥�
鈥淜3庐 r100 is already a highly innovative packaging solution, combining the key advantages of plastic, such as extended shelf life, with a significant reduction in plastic usage. Thanks to the automatic separation of materials, the plastic聽component聽can be directed into the聽appropriate recycling聽stream. With聽K3庐 r100, we are taking a major step forward toward a circular economy,鈥� said聽Jonas Kristensson, Director of Commercial Operations, Greiner.
“e-P4HV expands the capabilities of bioplastics.聽By combining high performance with designed biodegradability and a new electricity-driven pathway from biomass, our material opens applications where functionality and end-of-life must work together.聽We鈥檙e聽honored to have this innovation recognized by the plastics industry,鈥� said Roberta Le茫o,聽Ecovaleric.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased to help advance circularity in the pharmaceutical industry with the success of this take-back program, and excited for the greater visibility this award helps bring to end-of-life sustainability initiatives,鈥� said Zach Muscato, Director of Sustainability & Innovation at Plastic Ingenuity.
鈥淪ustainable聽innovation is not built on a single breakthrough idea, but on hundreds of smart decisions made throughout the development process. Behind every choice of material, format, or process lies a concrete opportunity to reduce our footprint. At聽EcoloPharm, we believe that eco-design is not a compromise, but a better way to design and manufacture. By doing more with less, we can generate real impact: environmental, operational, and economic,鈥� said Sandrine聽Milante, CEO,聽EcoloPharm.