KOLMAR Korea made history by becoming the first company in the industry to win two major awards at an international design competition, validating its design excellence on the global stage with its eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Notably, their eco-friendly package, ‘Paper Stick,’ received the highest accolade, ‘Best of the Best,’ at the 2025 Red Dot Design Award in Germany, achieving a grand slam by winning major global design awards once again.
On July 24th, KOLMAR Korea announced that ‘Paper Stick’ was awarded the ‘Best of the Best,’ while their ‘One-Hand Pump Paper Pack’ received the ‘Winner’ prize in the packaging category at the Red Dot Design Award. This marks the first instance in the Korean cosmetics industry where two products from the same company won awards simultaneously in a single year.
The Red Dot Design Award, organized by the North Rhine-Westphalia Design Center in Germany, is considered one of the “Big Three” global design competitions alongside the iF Design Award and IDEA Award. Its judging criteria focus on practicality, innovation, and creativity.
‘Paper Stick’ has attracted attention as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic products. Its unique structure allows users to peel away thin layers of paper to dispense contents, ensuring product usability until the end. It received high praise for its refined usability, aesthetic appeal, and sustainability aspects.
The product already boasts prior recognition, having won a Gold Award at the American IDEA Awards and a Winner title at the German iF Design Award. The recent Red Dot win completes its sweep of the world’s top three design awards—marking KOLMAR’s second grand slam, following the ‘Paper Tube’ award in 2021.
‘Paper Stick’ features ‘Mineral Paper’ (Stone Paper), made from mineral waste recycled from abandoned rocks from quarries. This eco-friendly material decomposes naturally under sunlight, returning to powder form, exemplifying sustainability.
Another award-winning product, the ‘One-Hand Pump Paper Pack,’ also drew attention with its innovative design. Merging the packaging style of milk cartons with a pump mechanism, it incorporates food industry packaging technology into cosmetics containers. All components are 100% recyclable, and the package is designed for easy disposal after cleaning, further emphasizing its environmental value.
Kim Hyung-sang, Executive Director of KOLMAR’s Design Development Group, stated, “This award represents more than just an attractive appearance; it reflects a comprehensive achievement that considers sustainability and user experience. We will continue to develop packaging solutions centered on environmental responsibility and consumer needs to expand our global influence.”
Additionally, the ‘Paper Stick,’ which won this year’s awards, has been transferred to Yoonwoo, a KOLMAR subsidiary specializing in cosmetic containers. Active sales efforts are underway targeting domestic and international clients.
