The Unpackit Packaging Awards received 215 nominations – more than double last year. Yahooo!!! The team is spending this week shortlisting the eight finalists for the Best and the Worst categories. Sophie and Gina headed to the supermarket on Monday for a research trip to look at some of the nominations up close.

We bought some examples of the Worst packaging to take home and compare. As we piled them on the conveyor belt, we were taken back at how shiny and bright all the packaging was – like a pile of brightly wrapped Christmas presents. 13 pieces of rubbish in one multi-pack. This packaging has very little to do with getting the product home in good condition, it’s all to do with eye-candy appeal – making it look bigger and brighter than the product next to it on the shelf.

The next week will be spent looking at all the packaging nominations up close – and at the end of it, we will have eight finalists in the Worst Packaging Award and eight finalists in the Best Packaging Award. Voting will open at www.unpackit.org on Monday Feb 20th.