PPK Natura, reportedly the world’s first PET resin made from waste carbon, has won Plastipak Packaging, Inc., a 2024 Technology Excellence Award for Sustainability at this week’s PACK EXPO International 2024 in Chicago.

Plastipak Packaging integrates innovation and circularity by producing PPK Natura from captured carbon emissions, using LanzaTech’s carbon-capture technology. This sustainable resin, suitable for food, personal-care, and pharmaceutical packaging, reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) without needing land or food resources. PPK Natura can be fully recycled, thus keeping carbon in a circular cycle.

Produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the Technology Excellence Awards recognize the best innovations in packaging and processing being shown for the first time at a PACK EXPO event. More than 100 qualified products entered the competition. After weeks of review by top industry professionals, the entries were narrowed to three finalists in each category. Voting began online on Oct. 28, and the finalists are on display at PACK EXPO International.