Entries open for Paper Industry Gold Awards 2025 (UK)

The Sustainable Innovation and Net Zero awards have been combined and they are pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new award for 2025 for Young Talent, a reward that will be presented to an individual who demonstrates innovation, commitment, and leadership. The Young Talent Award seeks to inspire the next generation and highlight the Paper Industry’s dedication to fostering future leaders by positioning the industry as an attractive and dynamic career choice for ambitious young people.

This year, they feature seven distinct categories, highlighting various talents and contributions. The Paper Gold Medal will also be awarded at the ceremony – this award will recognise an outstanding, lifelong contribution to this industry.

At the ceremony, CPI will also present certificates to the first cohort of apprentices to complete their three years in the relaunched CPI Papermaking Apprenticeship Scheme.

Award Categories

• Recycling Award
  • The UK’s Paper-based Industries are proud of their recycling heritage, which started over 100 years ago when cotton rags were picked for papermaking. Since then, sophisticated production technologies have been developed that deliver consistent, volume manufacturing to provide for the needs of modern society, producing paper for high-quality printing and writing, newsprint, packaging, and hygiene products. Paper recycling is not a knee-jerk response to environmental pressure, it is an integral part of the UK’s Paper-based Industries and it has its own sophisticated infrastructure. Around 80% of UK-made paper utilises recovered paper which is by far the biggest source of recyclate from domestic waste streams. This award aims to identify successful projects, initiatives, and campaigns run by paper-based companies to enhance recycling and more broadly contribute to the UK’s sustainability through activities supporting paper and board recycling.
• Community Engagement Award
  • The Community Engagement Award will recognise a company which has clearly demonstrated an outstanding and successful Community Engagement campaign which has had a positive effect on the public at large or specific groups.
• Health and Safety Award
  • The UK Paper Industry is dedicated to improving the Health and Safety of those that work within it. The industry plays a key role in the PABIAC initiative and works with the HSE and trade unions to promote a safety culture. It is vital that companies strive to prevent death, injury, and ill health to those at work. This award recognises companies that have gone above and beyond to ensure a safer and healthier working environment for their staff, whether that be through innovative safety projects or initiatives to support the health of their staff.
• Sustainable Innovation & Net Zero Award
  • The Sustainable Innovation & Net Zero Award recognises the innovative work of companies in the industry. Companies should enter specific projects or initiatives which are pioneering in the field, and which will benefit the future of the industry by making the production process more efficient, sustainable, decarbonisation and minimising the wider impact on their environment. The award is designed to acknowledge the work of businesses which are going above and beyond in their pursuit of a sustainable future. In making this award, the judges will be particularly looking for projects and/or operations where success in achieving sustainability objectives can be demonstrated and measured.
• Skills Award
  • The Skills Award will recognise a company that has made a significant investment in skills development and training. Companies can enter specific programmes or initiatives which focus on the development of skills within their workforces, and which benefit the future development of the industry by facilitating innovation, greater sustainability and the attractiveness of the industry to new recruits.
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award
  • The EDI award recognises a company or individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the promotion of EDI. The more diverse and inclusive the industry can become, the more it will serve the industry in building a resilient work force fit for the future. A company who wins this award will recognise the importance of diversity in the workplace and creates an inclusive environment in which all employees feel valued and can thrive. An individual winner of this award could be an individual who’s acted as a senior role model, inspiring others to follow or overcome personal barriers to excel in their career, or they may have provided a passion for ensuring that all colleagues and members of the wider public feel valued and respected.
• Young Talent Award
  • The Young Talent Award recognises an individual in the early years of their career in the UK’s Paper-based Industries who has already made a remarkable contribution to their employer and is achieving above and beyond expectations at this point in their career. Companies are invited to submit entries nominating individuals working in the industry who through their attitude, achievements or skills have made a significant contribution to the business in the early years of their career. The judges are looking for someone who has demonstrated exemplary performance and who stands out from their peers. This can be demonstrated through their technical, commercial, or practical abilities, client/customer care or focus, recognition of their work for clients, customers or their employer and engaging and responding to demands faced by their clients or customers.
• The Paper Gold Medal Award
  • The Paper Gold Medal has been awarded for over 50 years and each year companies, associations and individuals are invited to nominate an individual, in recognition of their personal excellence and achievements above and beyond their normal duties, who has made a unique and significant contribution to the UK’s Paper-based Industries.
  • Whilst the origins of the Paper Gold Medal were focused on the paper manufacturing sector, the Award has now become more inclusive and today is open to nominations from the ever-increasing number of sectors and specialisms that supply an amazing range of products based on paper. These include, but are not exclusively limited to, paper and board manufacturing, printing, newspapers and magazines, direct mail and catalogues, envelopes and stationery, retail and transport packaging, bags and tissues.
  • Digital and broadcast media are outside the scope of the Award.

Why enter the awards?

• Be recognised for excellence and as an industry leader.
• Show appreciation for the hard work and results of your employees.
• Enhance your organisation’s brand and reputation with a great PR opportunity.
• Take the opportunity to celebrate your success!
• The winners in each category will receive an Award trophy and a certificate.

Who can you nominate?

• Your own company.
• A project of your own or of colleagues, or both.
• Another company.
• A client or a client’s project (if you are the supplier).
• A person (for the Paper Gold Medal Award).

Eligibility Criteria

• To enter, you and your nominee should be UK-based, in the paper and board sector, cellulose fibre-based sector, or graphics and print sector.
• All projects or initiatives submitted for an award must have been active within the 12 months leading up to 17th June 2025.
• You are welcome to submit multiple entries, but each entry can only be submitted in one category.

How to enter?

• Decide which categories to enter. It is permissible to enter as many awards as you like and to enter more than one project/activity in each category.
• There are set criteria for each separate award. Please ensure that the criteria are adhered to to ensure you fully qualify for entry and secure the best chances for success.
• Complete the online entry form for each submission and ensure that you submit all the necessary supporting documentation by the closing date. If you are unable to do so, please state clearly why this is the case.
• Please note there is a separate nomination form for the Paper Gold Medal Award.

For more information, visit CPI.