LSIWC Receives International Packaging Award

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry has been honored with the prestigious “Award for Packaging Excellence” at the WorldStar for Packaging 2025 competition, organized by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). The award recognizes their innovative packaging project—Mycelium Composite Material Granules for Product Protection, developed by Dr. Ilze Irbe.

This international accolade underscores the high quality and competitiveness of packaging solutions developed in Latvia. The award ceremony took place on May 30, 2025, in Milan, Italy, during the IPACK-IMA exhibition.

The WorldStar 2025 competition featured 550 entries from 40 countries. Winners were selected by an international jury comprising 51 experts from 50 global packaging organizations. LSIWC’s project competed in the “Packaging Materials and Components” category.  

In 2023, the mycelium composite material granules also received the “Grand Prix” at the national competition “Best Packaging in Latvia,” organized by the Latvian Packaging Association.

These granules are made from 100% natural, renewable raw materials—mushroom mycelium and lignocellulosic waste (hemp and/or wood biomass). They offer a sustainable alternative to traditional packaging materials, being environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable, and compostable, unlike polystyrene packaging materials. The granules can be used to fill empty spaces in shipping boxes, protecting shipments from damage, and can also serve as decorative filler in gift boxes, safeguarding fragile items. Their production is characterized by low energy consumption and a carbon-neutral process, which is significant in the context of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. 

This marks the first time LSIWC has received the esteemed Award for Packaging Excellence. The “WorldStar for Packaging” is the largest professional competition in the world, and winning this award is a testament to outstanding achievement in the packaging industry. The World Packaging Organisation has been organizing the competition since 1970, annually inviting the best packaging solutions from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, as nominated by national competition juries.

Source: Packaging Association of Latvia.