9/4/2026
Prent Corporation has been named a 2026 AmeriStar Award winner in the Medical Device category by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) for the G7 TM Packaging System, designed and manufactured for Zimmer Biomet. The AmeriStar Awards are among the packaging industry's most competitive honors, recognizing entries judged on innovation, product protection, economics, performance, marketing, and environmental impact.
The G7 TM system was engineered to package, sterilize, and transport an abrasive-coated orthopedic implant without damaging the product or compromising its sterile barrier. Prent's design team paired PETG and TPU in a single snap-fit retainer that fully encapsulates the implant in an abrasion-resistant cushion, protecting both the device's polished surface and the tray around it. The flexible TPU component adapts to a full range of implant sizes, replacing what previously required several separate retainer designs.
That consolidation pays off on the bottom line and in the environmental impact alike. A single universal retainer cuts tooling, assembly steps, and SKU counts, reducing overall cost of goods by more than 10 percent. The redesigned tray also shrinks packaging volume by roughly 37 percent and shipping carton volume by roughly 45 percent, while eliminating foam and polybag components entirely — reducing material waste and the fuel needed to ship the same volume of product.
For clinicians, little changes at the point of use. The retainer keeps the same PETG surface, snap fit, and finger-access openings nurses already know from earlier Zimmer Biomet packaging, so the new system's aseptic removal process feels familiar even though the engineering behind it is new.
“This new packaging system is a great example of the innovation, simplification, and efficiencies we are driving across Zimmer Biomet,” said Paul Marshall, Director of Global Packaging and Labeling, Zimmer Biomet.
Zimmer Biomet is rolling out the G7 TM Packaging System globally, extending its sustainability and cost benefits. With one universal retainer replacing multiple size-specific designs, the reduced packaging volume and smaller SKU footprint scale across the company's entire distribution network.
Prent will showcase the G7 TM Packaging System alongside this year's other AmeriStar winners in the IoPP Showcase of Packaging Innovations at PACK EXPO Chicago, October 18–21, 2026. The entry is also in the running for PACK EXPO's attendee-voted People's Choice Award.
This is Prent's 16th AmeriStar Award, adding to a total of 17 WorldStar Awards won over the years. Prent plans to enter the G7 TM Packaging System in this year’s WorldStar Packaging Awards, hopeful the design will add an international honor to its growing list of accolades.