MADISON, WI (August 7, 2025) – Placon, an industry leader in innovative, sustainable thermoformed food packaging, was recently announced as a 2025 AmeriStar award winner for Design Excellence. The Ameristar awards are an annual award given by the Institute of Packaging Professionals and recognize innovation, product protection and product design across more than a dozen categories.

Placon’s award-winning package was designed exclusively for SimplKomb, a packaging leader in the beekeeping industry. The primary goal of the packaging was to create a fully-recyclable clamshell package made of 25% post-consumer recycled PET that serves as an all-in-one, in-hive comb honey production platform, harvesting solution, and end-consumer product package.

Typically, beekeepers transfer their comb honey product from a hive box frame into a stock clamshell or two-piece package. There is significant waste in this process, as the fragile honeycombs need to be cut to size and frequently don’t easily fit inside the stock packaging. Placon’s packaging solution solved this problem.

The SimplKomb 2.0 comb honey container is made from post-consumer recycled PET and is designed to fit in a standard beekeeper’s hive frame. The packaging is designed with a unique hexa-comb pattern that encourages bees to make honey directly inside of the thermoformed container walls.

When the bees have worked their magic, the SimplKomb packaging is removed from the beekeeper’s frameware, and the integrated clamshell lids are folded over to cover the comb honey. From there, individual packages are separated and prepared for labelling, shipping and sale.

The most significant impact of the SimplKomb packaging is the cost and time savings it provides beekeepers, who no longer have to transfer comb honey from hive boxes to ill-fitting stock retail clamshells, thus reducing the risk of dropping or damaging product in the process. The packaging also saves on labor costs by eliminating the sticky mess and clean-up often associated with the traditional cut-comb honey approach to packaging.

ABOUT PLACON
Since 1966, Placon has been a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative and sustainable plastic packaging for medical, food, and consumer goods markets. Placon has manufacturing operations in Madison, WI; West Springfield, MA; Elkhart, IN; and Plymouth, MN, and is currently ranked in the Top 20 in Plastics News 2024 Thermoformers Rankings. Placon delivers packaging breakthroughs that inspire better engagement between people and products.