Slow Food: Slow Pack 2012

As this year's Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre event draws closer, we would like to invite you to participate in the "SlowPack Prize of 2012", a new award to recognize the best in food and beverage eco-packaging presented at the event. The award has been conceived and launched by Slow Food in collaboration with the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the Chemical Laboratory of the Turin Chamber of Commerce, the University of Gastronomic Sciences, the Industrial Design course at the Politecnico di Torino, and the Department of Colture Arboree of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Turin.
SlowPack Prize is open to all producers exhibiting at Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012, both from Italy and the rest of the world. By highlighting best practice, the award aims to foster greater use of ecological and sustainable packaging options by producers and encourage sustainability to be pursued in all aspects of a product's lifespan, from the raw ingredients, to packaging, storage, marketing and transport and obviously, the final disposal.
To participate, nominate your own product packaging in one of the following categories:
1) Traditional techniques and materials: This award will recognize a form of packaging that consists of materials that recover a traditional way of packaging and conservation, based on traditional techniques that use natural, local, biodegradable and recyclable materials. The prize: a discount equal to € 1,950 (taxes included) off the price of exhibition space at the International Salone del Gusto 2012.

2) Innovative techniques and materials: this award will recognize a form of packaging that is both eco-friendly and eco-sustainable, made with innovative, reusable, recyclable and biodegradable materials that are derived from efficient production processes from an energy point of view, with low levels of harmful emissions. The prize: a chemical analysis and consultation service package by the Chemical Laboratory of the Turin Chamber of Commerce worth up to € 500, to be used in 2013.

3) Communication of the product's quality: this award will recognize a label with highly effective communication that helps that consumer understand the product's characteristics that distinguish it from the competition by describing, for example, the traceability of its ingredients, the history of the product or its uniqueness and indicating the correct way to reuse or dispose of the packaging. The prize: free printing of labels by Eurostampa S.p.A, strategic partner of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

4) Chain of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging: this award will recognize a label whose choice of all levels of packaging fully respects the environment. The prize: a supply of Greenpallet products on behalf of Palm S.p.A., leader in the sector and environmental partner of the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012.
To participate in the contest you must send the application, duly filled out in its entirety, the product label, and photos of the primary, secondary and tertiary packaging of the product that you wish to nominate for the prize no later than August 31, 2012, to the following email address: c.zucchetti@slowfood.it

or by post to the following address:
Slow Food – Premio SlowPack 2012
Via della Mendicità Istruita, 14
12042 Bra (Cn)
Italy

Nominations are restricted to one product per company.
The award ceremony will take place on October 26 at 6 pm at the International Salone del Gusto 2012.

The rules and the application form (download here) can also be downloaded from the exhibitors' area of the event website: www.salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com.