The winners of the prestigious Tube of the Year 2023 competition of the European Tube Manufacturers Association (etma) are now known. The winners were announced in Amsterdam at the end of May 2023.
The annual conference of the European Pipe Manufacturers Association (etma) and the third World Pipe Congress, which were organized by etma and attracted a great deal of attention, provided a suitable setting for the awards ceremony. A jury composed of seven representatives of etma member companies selected the winners in the categories of aluminum tubes, plastic tubes, laminated tubes, sustainability and prototypes.
This year’s winner in the aluminum tube category went to the POREfessional tube from Benefit Cosmetics, part of the LVMH luxury group. The well-known Californian cosmetics brand relies on aluminum tubes for the relaunch of this fast-smoothing pore mask. These tubes are manufactured by Alltub France from more than 95% post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum. To give them a fantastic look, the tubes have been coated with a transparent matte lacquer that enhances the brushed aluminum of the tube. A specially developed pressing tool reduces the intensity of the extrusion marks along the entire length of the pipe, which gives the brushed effect an even better appearance. Another challenge is the printing of this tube: to achieve the striking turquoise matte and glossy effect on the front side and to obtain the required print registration quality at the circular matte/gloss interfaces of the tube.
In the plastic tubes category, a Payot tube for its new Essential hair care range won. The tubes come from the French manufacturer Albéa and are produced at one of its competence centers for extruded plastic tubes based in Germany. At first glance, the winning tubes impress with their wonderful matte coloration and clear, elegantly reduced design. The tubes are manufactured with Albéa’s thin-walled PCR MAX technology. For the closure, a matt PP Slight Cap was chosen, one of the lightest on the market thanks to its flat design. The shape and color of the cap perfectly match the proportions and design of the tube, thus ensuring an absolutely harmonious appearance. This perfect combination of Thin Wall PCR MAX and the PP Slight Cap allows the brand to launch a very lightweight tube with a high content of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material.
The winner in the laminated tube category was the Silky Comfort Argan and Jojoba tube from Magdis Cosmetics, the largest cosmetics manufacturer on the Croatian market and supplier of sophisticated natural cosmetics.
First place in the sustainability category went to an aluminum tube from Japanese consumer goods company Kao, as part of the reconfiguration of the packaging for its well-known Goldwell TOPCHIC Permanent Hair Color product. The tubes are produced by the German manufacturer Linhardt. The goal of the joint development with Kao was to use post-consumer recycling (PCR) throughout the packaging to significantly reduce the carbon footprint. Finally, in the prototype category, the jury chose a range of aluminum tubes from Alltub Italia as the winner of the competition. With its winning innovation, the tube manufacturer reacted to the growing popularity of aluminum tubes in the high-end cosmetics market.
For his part, etma’s Secretary General, Gregor Spengler, highlighted the extraordinary quality of this year’s event. “Very lively participation in the prototype category. In this category alone, one third of all tubes submitted made it to the start. I consider this a very positive sign and a convincing indication of the continuing innovative spirit of our member companies. It is clear that our industry is well positioned to further develop the flexible tube as the packaging material of the future.”he reiterated.
Finally, beyond the borders of Europe, the etma competition is considered a recognized yardstick of industry performance and an internationally valid benchmark of creativity, innovation and quality in the field of flexible hoses.
