Teatulia Receives iF Packaging Design Award

Teatulia Organic Teas of Denver received the prestigious 2014 iF packaging design award for its retail packaging from the iF International Forum Design Hannover.

Traditionally, most retail teas are presented in box containers or tin tubes; however, wanting to break away from the mold, Teatulia decided to present its teas in sustainable style using an eco-canister.

“We strive to not only create beautiful, eye-catching designs but also the most sustainable packaging in the tea aisle,” said Chris Olsen, director of marketing and new product development. “We are delighted that out of 264 entries from 55 countries, our retail eco-canisters have won a 2014 iF packaging design award in the beverage category.”

The Teatulia retail package is known as an eco-canister because 100 percent of its inputs are either recyclable or compostable. All of the eco-canister paper components are made from a percentage of post-consumer waste while each eco-canister has its own personality – reflecting the individual Pantone color assigned to each tea through the soy-based printed labels that are cleanly designed with bright, eye-catching colors like fuchsia, lime green, and eggplant to offset the light brown paper eco-canister. 

All adhesives are also water-based and environmentally friendly. This next-generation retail package also has the added value of a revolutionary, recyclable protection barrier, which allows for extra protection of delicate tea leaves while eliminating the need for excess packaging.

Starting in 1953, iF has become an international design center with headquarters in the center of Hannover, Germany, and with exhibitions in many parts of the world. The iF design awards mirror both current trends in design and the economic benefits delivered by well-designed products. The design awards are among the most important design awards in the world, which is confirmed by an annual number of more than 20,000 competition entries from more than 50 countries.

The iF packaging design award judges creative packaging design that entices people to buy a product, is easy to handle, and that takes into account economic and ecological criteria. The jury considered criteria such as design quality, finish, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of intended use, safety, brand value and branding, symbolism and independence, aspects of production and logistics, and of universal design.