Montreal, QC - Alcan Packaging, a business unit of Rio Tinto Alcan, and Procter Gamble (P G) were honoured with a top prize for their Prilosec OTC Pack at the 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation, the industry's first sustainable packaging virtual event.

"Alcan Packaging has a long-standing relationship with P G, and this awards is the result of working in partnership to develop more sustainable products that help improve peoples' lives," said Michael Rubenstein, chief growth and innovation officer, Alcan Packaging. "The blister card redesign means that all 14 tablets are included on the same size card as the seven-count version. This reduces packaging materials by 50 per cent and creates significant greenhouse gas reductions and energy savings, as well as other environmental improvements."

The Prilosec OTC Pack was recognised at the 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation for its cost effectiveness and enhanced performance. Alcan Global Pharmaceutical Packaging worked closely with Procter Gamble during the package redevelopment phase. The extended sustainability-oriented redesign for Prilosec OTC also made the packaging easy to open, senior-friendly, and child-resistant. Prilosec OTC prevents heartburn and is available without a prescription in the United States.

"Introduced last year, the redesigned package came as a result of consumers telling us that they found it hard to use the peel-push primary pack. We partnered with Alcan Packaging to develop this innovative, easier-to-use and sustainable product. The result is good for our consumers, the environment, and our company as we are reducing our packaging materials by 800,000 pounds a year," said John Eadicicco, P G Package Development for Pharmaceuticals/Digestive Wellness. Procter Gamble's focus on package design, across all of its global brands, is part of the company's overall sustainability strategy aimed at improving the world for everyone for generations to come.

The 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation were held on 28 May, 2009. An independent, international expert jury panel evaluated all entries in this year's competition on seven innovation factors, including resource and energy optimisation and enhanced performance.

Alcan Packaging is a global leader in value-added specialty packaging, offering solutions to customers around the world for the food, pharmaceutical, beauty and tobacco markets. Headquartered in Paris, France, it delivers multi-material innovative products using plastics, engineered film, aluminium, paper, paperboard and glass.

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