What does the next generation of packaging designers envision for the future of paperboard packaging?
This fall, three student teams will have the opportunity to show the industry.
The Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA), a joint initiative of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and PPC, has announced the finalists of its 2026 Student Design Challenge.
The annual competition gives college students the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to a real-world packaging challenge, combining creativity, structural design, sustainability, and the practical demands of bringing a package to life.
Meet The 2026 Finalists
This year’s finalists are:
Dāt — California Polytechnic State University
Tempus — California Polytechnic State University
Pacha Cacao — Rochester Institute of Technology
For the 2026 challenge, students were asked to create an influencer PR box for a new luxury confectionery brand. Their designs needed to do more than simply contain and protect the product. Students were challenged to use paper-based packaging to create an engaging, memorable unboxing experience worthy of a premium brand.
“The Student Design Challenge pushes students across North America to reimagine packaging through a sustainability lens,” said Heidi Brock, President and CEO of AF&PA. “It connects classroom learning with real-world innovation, transforming creative ideas into recyclable, paper-based solutions.”
From The Classroom To The Industry Stage
The competition culminates at PPC’s 2026 Fall Meeting, September 30–October 2 in Orlando, where the finalist teams will present their designs live before folding carton manufacturers, executives, and other industry leaders from across North America.
For the students, the experience offers something that goes well beyond the competition itself: direct exposure to the people and companies shaping the industry they may soon enter.
“One of the most inspiring moments of our PPC Fall Meeting is watching the next generation take the main stage to present their work to an audience of industry leaders and potential future employers,” said Emily Leonczyk, President of PPC.
“What makes this opportunity so meaningful is the two-way dialogue. Students engage directly with manufacturers, executives, and innovators, while our industry has the opportunity to celebrate their creativity, listen to fresh perspectives, and better understand how we can attract, inspire, and develop the next generation of talent.”
Celebrating The Next Generation Of Packaging Talent
The stakes are significant. The first-place team will receive $10,500, with an additional $10,000 awarded to its school. Second- and third-place teams will also receive cash prizes. Winners will be announced at PPC’s Fall Meeting in Orlando, September 30-October 2.
But the broader value of the Student Design Challenge is the connection it creates between education and industry. Students gain firsthand experience solving the structural, sustainability, branding, and consumer-experience challenges that packaging professionals encounter every day. At the same time, the industry gets an early look at the creativity and perspectives of emerging talent.
“We look forward to welcoming these outstanding finalists to Orlando this fall and showcasing them alongside the leaders shaping the future of paperboard packaging,” Leonczyk said.
