A Bradford company which is one of the UK’s leading contract packers has achieved national recognition and two top awards for pioneering an eco-friendly wrapping for a producer of luxury organic cosmetics.

Mailway Packaging Solutions, based in Pitcliffe Way, West Bowling, achieved a UK first by developing a process to shrink wrap cosmetics jars using a biodegradable sleeve.

The breakthrough earned Mailway two national awards – one for best brand design and another in the toiletries and cosmetics category at the Starpack awards.

Mailway’s operations director Steve Whitehouse said the material used for the shrink-wrapping was difficult to handle. The process involved pioneering the use of a material made from biodegradable starch, which also used low-toxicity inks.

Mr Whitehouse said: “It was a real challenge to achieve the desired high quality finish for the products when using such a difficult material, so we are all delighted our hard work has been recognised with two Starpack awards.”

In order to achieve the award winning solution, Mailway’s team researched various techniques before arriving at a process that allowed them to deliver a professional finish without causing any damage to the delicate material.

The packaging was developed for Nude skincare products which use organic ingredients and sell for up to £60 a jar in retailers including Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Barneys of New York.

Nude founder Bryan Meehan said: “We wanted to use the biodegradable material to keep our packaging as responsible as possible, while maintaining a premium look and feel.

“Mailway showed the ability to work within these parameters to deliver the perfect packaging solution and we are delighted that this has been recognised by the Starpack judging panel.”