RePlay™ Returnables Celebrates Outstanding Success at the 2026 PIDA Awards

30 July 2026

Three Gold Awards and One Silver Recognise Innovation in Reusable Packaging

Bonson Packaging is proud to announce that the RePlay™ Returnable System has been recognised with an outstanding three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the 2026 Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDA). The winners were announced at the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards gala dinner at the Crown Aviary in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 28th of July 2026.

Presented by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDA Awards celebrate excellence in packaging design and innovation across Australia and New Zealand. The awards recognise packaging solutions that demonstrate outstanding design, sustainability, functionality and commercial success.

The RePlay™ Returnable System received the following honours:

• Gold      – Sustainable Packaging Design (REUSE)
• Gold      – Marketing Design
• Gold      – Labelling & Decoration Design
• Silver      – Food Packaging Design

These awards are a significant milestone for the RePlay™ Return project and reinforce the value of collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to reducing single-use packaging through practical, scalable reuse systems.

A Proud Moment for Bonson

Bonson Packaging CEO David Tsui said the awards are a testament to the dedication of everyone who has contributed to the RePlay™ Returnable System journey.

"Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the PIDA Awards is an outstanding achievement and one that everyone involved with the RePlay™ Returnable System should be immensely proud of. On behalf of Bonson Packaging, I would like to congratulate our RePlay team and all of our project partners whose expertise, passion and commitment have helped transform an ambitious idea into an award-winning solution."

"The RePlay™ Returnable System demonstrates what is possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose to create practical, sustainable change. While we're delighted to celebrate this recognition, what excites me even more is the future. This is just the beginning of the RePlay™ Return story, and I look forward to seeing the programme continue to grow, welcome new partners, reach more communities and make an even greater contribution to New Zealand and Australia’s circular economy."

A Win for Collaboration

While Bonson is honoured to receive this recognition, the RePlay™ Returnable System has always been much more than a single organisation's project. It has been built through the expertise, passion and commitment of an exceptional group of partners, all working towards a common goal of advancing the circular economy.

We would like to sincerely thank our partners:

• Foodstuffs North Island Limited (particularly Debra Goulding, Sustainable Packaging Programme Manager)
• New World Stores Birkenhead (Heidi Brittenden) & Willis St Metro (Mac Courtney)
• Circularity (Louise Nash)
• Again Again (Nada Piatek)
• Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (formerly the Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao)
• Anew® & Charopy Smart Bins
• MCC Global IML (Michael Debono)
• Blender. (Oliver McDermott)
• Hula Design (Bree Asmus)

Every organisation and individual has played an important role in helping bring RePlay™ from concept to reality. Their knowledge, encouragement and willingness to collaborate have been instrumental in creating a reusable packaging system that is both practical and commercially viable.

Recognising the Bonson Team

These awards also belong to the many people across Bonson who have contributed their skills, creativity and determination throughout the project.

• From Bonson; Rodney Bennett, Glenn Drake, David McNickle, Irene Smith, Vanya      Piacun, Andie Johnston (Flex Marketing)

From research and product development to manufacturing, quality assurance, marketing, sales, logistics and customer support, RePlay™ Return has been a genuine team effort. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when talented people work together with a shared vision.

We are incredibly proud of everyone who has contributed to this achievement.

Thank You to the Australasian Institute of Packaging

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Nerida Kelton FAIP and the team at the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) for organising another exceptional Packaging Innovation & Design Awards programme.

The PIDA Awards continue to showcase the very best packaging innovation across Australasia while encouraging businesses to push the boundaries of sustainability, design and packaging performance.

Looking Ahead

Winning three Gold Awards and one Silver Award is a tremendous honour, but it is only one milestone in the RePlay™ Return journey.

As more businesses, retailers and consumers look for practical ways to reduce waste and embrace circular solutions, we believe reusable packaging has an increasingly important role to play.

The recognition from the PIDA Awards provides further confidence that the RePlay™ Returnable System is helping shape the future of sustainable food packaging. We look forward to continuing to work alongside our partners as we expand the programme and make reusable packaging more accessible across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.

To everyone who has supported RePlay™ Returnable System along the way; thank you. These awards are a shared achievement, and we couldn't be prouder of what we've accomplished together.