The 2026 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards | Gold Award Sustainability marks an exciting milestone for SmartSolve and a meaningful step forward for sustainable packaging innovation.
Held during the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) Annual Meeting 2026, the industry gathered from March 18 through March 20 to recognize the technologies and partnerships shaping the future of flexible packaging. The event opened with a Welcome Reception followed by the Welcome & Achievement Awards Dinner, where this year’s winners were announced.
SmartSolve was honored with a Gold Award in Sustainability, one of the most competitive categories in the program.
Celebrating 70 Years of Packaging Innovation
In 2026, the Flexible Packaging Association celebrates the 70th anniversary of its prestigious awards program. Since 1956, the Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards have recognized innovations and technological advancements across the packaging industry.
The program is known for its high standards, independent judging, and strong industry recognition, making it one of the most respected honors in flexible packaging.
FPA Award Categories
The Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards recognize excellence across several categories:
- Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging
- Technical Innovation
- Sustainability
- Printing
- Shelf Impact
- Packaging Excellence
SmartSolve entered the Sustainability category, which highlights solutions that deliver measurable environmental impact through design, materials, and performance. Our CEO, Jonathan Jakubowski attended the 2026 FPA Annual meeting and was able to accept the award on stage.
What Set SmartSolve Apart
SmartSolve was founded in 2016 with an initial focus on water-soluble label and face stock materials. From the beginning, Jonathan Jakubowski saw these materials as the foundation for a broader platform of water-soluble innovation.
Flexible packaging quickly emerged as a key opportunity. The team began exploring dissolvable, heat-sealable coatings and recognized that when paired with water-soluble paper, it could unlock an entirely new type of packaging structure.
That vision led to the development of SmartSolve’s pouch stock.
SmartSolve’s X-Series pouch stock features a two-layer construction. The outer layer is made from responsibly sourced wood pulp fibers and cellulose, while the inner sealant layer is a biodegradable, water-soluble PVOH that is heat activated. This structure is designed specifically for dry, single-use applications where performance and sustainability must work together.
By combining these materials, SmartSolve created a flexible packaging solution that significantly reduces the need for traditional plastic components while maintaining the functionality brands expect.
Built on Verified Claims
At SmartSolve, our brand promise is: Truth in Green Packaging.
Every sustainability claim tied to this material is backed by verified testing. That level of validation, along with the transparency behind it, played an important role in receiving this recognition.
In a world where greenwashing is common, SmartSolve takes a different approach. The focus is on real data, real testing, and claims that hold up.
Partnering for Real Impact
SmartSolve works with partners across a variety of industries, including home cleaning, personal care, medical, and food packaging. When our customers succeed, we succeed. We love to highlight those who give us permission, including Safetec, Daye, noodees, and many others highlighted on our Customer Success blog category.
For this award, we showcased a personal care application with noodees to demonstrate the impact of combining thoughtful product design with innovative packaging. noodees, is a South African startup founded by Katie Borland. noodees uses SmartSolve’s 3×15 pouch stock for personal care products, including powdered facial wash and hand soap, showcasing how water-soluble packaging can deliver both convenience and meaningful waste reduction.
This application has strong potential to transform hospitality and on-the-go use cases. By replacing traditional bar soaps and single-use plastic packaging with a zero-waste, hand wash powder, noodees reduces material waste while improving portability and user experience. Traditional personal care products often contain a lot of water, which increases both packaging needs and transportation impact. By removing water and using a concentrated, powder-based formulation, noodees reduces unnecessary weight and volume.
Paired with SmartSolve’s dispersible packaging, the result is a more efficient system that reduces waste across the value chain. This example shows how careful design at both the product and packaging level can drive meaningful environmental improvements.
Flexible Packaging for the Future
Receiving the Gold Award in Sustainability from the Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards is a tremendous honor. We are grateful to the judges for recognizing our contributions to the future of sustainable packaging.
We welcome questions, conversations, and collaboration. Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more about our materials, technology, or approach to sustainable packaging.
Marketing Manager