European Carton Excellence Award 2025: celebrating innovation and sustainability
The European Carton Excellence Award is one of the most important events in the packaging industry, recognising the best cartonboard solutions from across Europe. It showcases how packaging can combine creativity, functionality and sustainability to meet the needs of both brands and consumers. As a Gold Sponsor of this year’s ceremony in Istanbul, MM Board & Paper was proud to support a platform that highlights the growing importance of carton in fostering innovation and driving progress in sustainable packaging.
Inside the European Carton Excellence Award
The European Carton Excellence Award (ECEA) celebrates the very best in cartonboard packaging across Europe. The competition showcases how packaging can evolve to meet modern demands for innovation, practicality and environmental responsibility. Each year, entries are submitted from across the continent and judged not only on their technical performance but also on how they connect with consumers and contribute to a circular economy.
The awards are divided into categories that cover the full spectrum of cartonboard applications, from food and drink to healthcare, confectionery, household goods and beyond. This broad scope underlines the essential role of carton in everyday life and highlights its ability to adapt to different markets and consumer needs.
MM Packaging, ECEA winner in the Confectionery category
At this year’s award ceremony, MM Packaging took home the Confectionery category winner with the Milka Advent Calendar, a packaging concept that reimagines tradition while embracing creativity and environmental responsibility.
“Congratulations to the team, this is a very nice performance. The project team can be proud.”
Wilfried Muselet – Director Sourcing Packaging MEU – Mondelez
Developed for Mondelez and produced at MM Packaging Polska, the Milka Advent Calendar demonstrates how carton can become an integral part of the consumer experience. More than just a countdown calendar, it transforms each daily ritual into an engaging, hands-on activity.
Behind every window lies not only a chocolate treat but also a paper ornament, inviting children to decorate and create their own Christmas tree as the season progresses. The packaging’s structural design includes a foldable three-dimensional tree that merges joy, creativity and anticipation in a unique way.
The calendar combines high-quality offset printing with low-migration inks and a water-based varnish finish, resulting in a visually striking design that meets food safety and recyclability standards.
The jury praised the calendar for its storytelling power and structural inventiveness: “This design stands out for its unusual structure and storytelling approach. The moment of opening becomes part of the experience, drawing the consumer into the brand narrative in a meaningful way.”
MM Board & Paper wins Platinum award in the Ambient food category
MM Board & Paper claimed the Platinum award in the Ambient food category with the Forsman Tea Advent Calendar. This packaging concept combines festive design, premium quality and reusable tea boxes for a truly gift-worthy experience.
“It was important to us that the calendar had a Scandinavian, natural look that would appeal to Finish consumers – ALASKA® BRIGHT was the ideal choice here: functional and high-quality.”
Sanna Härkönen – Packaging Specialist and Aarne Santamäki – Partner, COO – Forsman Tea
“We wanted a cartonboard with good colour reproduction and a matt surface. ALASKA® BRIGHT from MM Kotkamills perfectly meets these requirements: a pleasant tone on the matt side, a velvety feel, a wide range of thicknesses and excellent colour reproduction.”
Lauri Raumanni – Key Account Manager – Grano Oy (converter)
Produced with ALASKA® BRIGHT 245 gsm cartonboard from MM Kotkamills, the Forsman Tea Advent Calendar offers a mono-material, plastic-free packaging solution that prioritises sustainability without sacrificing creativity.
Its matte finish and high print quality create a gift-worthy presentation, while reusable inner tea boxes extend its life beyond the festive season. The project also minimised its carbon footprint by keeping all production steps within a 150 km radius in Finland, making it a clear example of eco packaging.
MM finalists at the European Carton Excellence Award
MM’s success extended beyond the Milka and Forsman Tea wins. Several other projects reached the finalist stage, highlighting the company’s ability to deliver innovative solutions across multiple categories.
Produced at MM Packaging Leeuwarden, the Miss Perfect Délice Snack Tomato carton is a fibre-based alternative to plastic trays. Made from ALASKA® STRONG 340 gsm cartonboard produced at MM Kotkamills it balances practicality with sustainability.
Its nestable tray construction, integrated hinged lid and strategically placed apertures ensure optimal product visibility and secure handling. Free from plastic film and PPWR-ready, this carton solution demonstrates how cartonboard can replace plastic without compromising shelf appeal, logistics efficiency or consumer convenience.
Developed at MM Premium Vienna, this sleeve was designed for World Travel Retail to hold two Toblerone Pralines packs. The conical sleeve mirrors the geometry of the iconic Toblerone shape.
Die-cut windows enhance visibility of key product information, while embossing and UV varnish elevate the visual identity. Delivered flat for efficient logistics, this carton sleeve reflects MM’s ability to combine packaging efficiency with premium branding.
Created at MM Packaging Polska, the Dove Awaken Gift Collection demonstrates the power of design to reflect brand identity. Crafted from ALASKA® WHITE 350 gsm cartonboard from MM Kwidzyn, the hexagonal structure features premium finishing techniques including soft-touch lacquer, golden hot stamping and embossing.
Durable yet elegant, this carton solution combines practicality with a premium gifting experience. Its design details and visual finish reflect Dove’s brand values, showing how expertise in packaging can create added value for global consumer brands.
Insights from MM leadership at the European Carton Excellence Award
The award ceremony also featured contributions from MM’s leadership team. Jürgen Kleinrath, CSO MM Board & Paper, delivered a Spotlight Session under the theme “Peace of Mind in Stormy Times”. He emphasised MM’s comprehensive cartonboard portfolio, the company’s multi-mill concept ensuring reliable sourcing and ongoing investments in technology to reduce CO₂ and improve environmental performance. He also highlighted how MM combines recycled and virgin fibre expertise with independent technical consultation to offer customers smart, more sustainable carton solutions tailored to their needs.
Roman Billiani, CEO Food & Premium Packaging, contributed with a Speaker Slot Session titled “Lessons Learned from the Fire at the Polish Facility.” His talk offered a candid view of a significant operational challenge, outlining how MM managed the incident and maintained production continuity and quality in the face of unexpected disruptions.
Looking ahead: MM’s commitment to delivering more sustainable carton solutions with a focus on innovation
MM Packaging and MM Board & Paper’s recognitions at the European Carton Excellence Award 2025 highlights their focus on creating innovative and more sustainable packaging. This approach is evident in every project, which underscores the versatility of carton as a renewable and recyclable material, capable of delivering both exceptional performance and memorable consumer experiences. For MM, packaging is not just a container but a way to tell stories and add value.
As a Gold Sponsor of the 2025 ECEA, MM Board & Paper reaffirmed its commitment to supporting excellence and innovation in cartonboard packaging. Being celebrated at the European Carton Excellence Award is an honour that shows the company’s ongoing dedication to creating more sustainable packaging across Europe and beyond.
