SIG has announced that a manufacturing collaboration with Hill-Smith Family Estates has earned both the Packaging & Design Award and the Sustainability Award at the 2025 Wine Industry Impact Awards.
The recognition highlights what SIG describes as a major step forward in manufacturing recycle-ready bag-in-box wine packaging in Australia, as revealed in a news release.
According to SIG, the awards come as the Wine Industry Suppliers Association (WISA) marks its 25th year of promoting innovation and technical excellence across the wine sector.
The winning solution is based on a bag made with SIG Terra RecShield, a mono-material film designed to replace the traditional multi-layer structure commonly used in bag-in-box packaging.
SIG said the redesigned material enables the bag, tap and carton to meet Australia’s recyclability criteria and align with the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), as well as Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets.
In its assessment, the WISA judging panel described the development as “a landmark advancement for wine packaging sustainability, combining technical excellence, industry collaboration, and measurable environmental benefits to set a new national standard for recyclable design.”
SIG stated the innovation was developed and manufactured at SIG’s Adelaide facility in partnership with Winesmiths, a Hill-Smith Family Estates brand with a longstanding presence in the cask wine category.
“These awards highlight the impact of genuine industry partnerships,” said Carmen Houston, ANZ Head of Marketing & Sustainability at SIG.
“Delivering Australia’s first recycle-ready bag-in-box wine packaging has only been possible through deep collaboration. Working with Hill-Smith Family Estates enabled us to provide the industry with meaningful packaging improvements. We are honoured that WISA has recognised its significance.”
Hill-Smith Family Estates said the acknowledgement reinforces its focus on sustainable packaging. “This recognition reflects Hill-Smith Family Estates’ commitment to advancing sustainable packaging through collaboration,” CEO Karl Martin said.
“Sustainability is central to our future, and packaging plays a crucial role in that journey. Partnering with SIG to help commercialise this innovation allows us to accelerate meaningful change for both our business and the wider industry. We are incredibly proud to be recognised alongside them.”
SIG and Hill-Smith Family Estates said they plan to continue the manufacturing partnership as Winesmiths prepares to bring the new recycle-ready packaging to Australian shelves in early 2026.
