Congratulations to the Winners of the 2025 Packaging Innovation Awards

For the 3rd Year, the Awards Recognize the Future of Sustainable Packaging in the Natural Products Industry

[Anaheim, CA, March 5, 2025] – One Step Closer (OSC), the leading community of mission-driven leaders in the natural products industry, is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 OSC Packaging Innovation Awards. Announced at the State of Sustainable Packaging Super Session & Awards Ceremony at Natural Products Expo West, the awards recognize brands and materials providers prioritizing environmental stewardship and advancing the sustainability of their packaging and lifecycle management.

“The Packaging Innovation Awards showcase brands and material providers that are leading the way in rethinking packaging to reduce waste, improve sustainability, and drive industry-wide change,” said Eliza Brady, Director of the Packaging Collaborative at One Step Closer. “By recognizing and amplifying these efforts, we hope to accelerate the adoption of packaging solutions that balance functionality, consumer appeal, and environmental responsibility.”

Presented live on stage at Natural Products Expo West 2025, the winners of this year’s Packaging Innovation Awards are:

Innovation in Materials (Brands): Blue Heron Botanicals, Home compostable or curbside recyclable paper tubes for lip balms and herbal balms

Recognizing advancements in the application of circular packaging materials by consumer packaged goods brands.

Blue Heron Botanicals’ paper tubes for lip balms and herbal balms are home compostable or curbside recyclable. Primary Materials: 100% PCW recycled paper lip balm tubes and larger salve tubes made with 60% FSC Certified paper and 40% PCW recycled paper with waxed lining.

“I was ready to launch an herbal product line using plastic lip balm tubes, vinyl labels and tins with vinyl labels then I read an article about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch sometime around 2010,” said Theora Jackson, Owner of Blue Heron Botanicals. “I was shocked by the sheer amount of waste floating in the oceans and could not have my brand putting plastic waste out into the world. So, I stopped where I was with planning the brand and did a deep dive on sustainable materials and committed myself to creating the most sustainable herbal skincare line available.”

Innovation in Materials (Material Providers): World Centric, Fiber based scoop for protein powders

Recognizes advancements in the development of novel, sustainable packaging materials that perform well and ensure the safety of the product for use by industry members.

World Centric’s Fiber Scoop, designed for use in packaged nutrition or protein powders found at the grocery store, is made from plant fiber from renewable resources, primarily sugarcane bagasse, and is certified to break down in a home or commercial compost pile. 

This scoop was developed over two years in partnership with Tailwind Nutrition, a company creating natural nutritional powders for athletes. In 2024, Tailwind Nutrition replaced its plastic scoops with World Centric Fiber Scoops, resulting in greenhouse gas emission savings equivalent to driving a gas-powered car 4,453 miles or burning 1,946 pounds of coal for every 200,000 scoops.

Innovation in Refillable Packaging Systems: Activist Skincare, Refillable skincare products

Recognizes advancements in packaging solutions that promote reusability, encouraging consumers to reduce waste through the purchase of or a subscription to a refill option.

As a sustainable skincare brand, Activist Skincare prioritizes reducing carbon emissions and plastic waste. By using Mylar packaging and promoting refillable products, they achieve a 99% reduction in shipping emissions and an 80% reduction in plastic use. Customers can refill their original glass containers with pouches ordered from the brand’s website. Activist Skincare also offers prepaid shipping labels for recycling empty pouches, further minimizing environmental impact.

The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges with expertise in materials science, waste management, and sustainable manufacturing, including industry experts Rhodes Yepsen of BPI, Natalie Kra of Resonance and OSC, Stephanie Barger of USGBC TRUE, and Laura Foti of SpecRight. The 2025 Packaging Innovation Awards are made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors, SpecRight and Trayak.

In addition to industry exposure and recognition, each winner will receive a free full-year membership to the OSC Packaging Collaborative. 

Beyond recognizing packaging innovation, the OSC Packaging Collaborative plays a vital role in fostering relationships across the compostable materials supply chain, researching sustainable alternatives, educating brands and consumers, and advocating for policy changes that drive systemic improvements in packaging sustainability. 

About the OSC Packaging Collaborative

The OSC Packaging Collaborative is a coalition of forward-thinking brands and materials manufacturers committed to solving the challenge of single-use packaging waste in the natural products industry. Through collective action, the group accelerates the adoption of innovative, sustainable packaging solutions that support a circular economy. Learn more at osc2.org/packaging-collaborative/.

About One Step Closer (OSC)

One Step Closer (OSC) is a community of mission-driven leaders dedicated to driving positive impact within the natural products industry. Through collaboration, advocacy, and action-driven initiatives, OSC empowers brands to create systemic change for a more sustainable, equitable future. Learn more at osc2.org.