To kick things off, we covered some package design trivia this year. We went over the real reason (not the conspiracy theory) of why glass bottles have a push-up in the bottom.

Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels

And if you read "Why Soda Bottles Used to Have Round Bottoms," you'll learn that it was due to a design limitation in bottle caps, and nothing to do with the molding of the bottles.

As for some package design innovations we saw this year:

Industrial designer Wyatt Coe designed this Scotch Flip concept, where the packaging becomes the dispenser.

The Butterfly Cup is a biodegradable and recyclable paper coffee cup with an integrated lid and spout. It can also be used for cold drinks.

Australian packaging firm Caps & Closures developed ThermoShield, customizable caps that change color with the temperature.

For packaging materials, Estonian startup Woola developed Bubble Wool, a bubble wrap alternative made from waste wool.

Read the story of package designer Rudy Youell, whose incredibly simple redesign of cardboard inserts saves millions of dollars a year.

Designers at OF Packaging realized that if you make a 2D shape into 3D, it's easier to recycle (easier for the scanning machines at material recovery facilities to detect). Thus their Roll 'n' Recycle packaging design:

These Flip-It devices turn top-spout bottles into bottom-spout, so gravity will let you get the last drop of product.

This Sanizone tool was designed because yogurt packaging is difficult for those with arthritis to open.

Ugliest package design of the year might go to A$AP Rocky's new whisky brand, with included plastic cups that are meant to mate with both ends of the glass bottle.

The niftiest, most useful (to me) bottle I saw this year was this mixing bottle for gasoline and oil, which makes short work of the small-engine ritual.

We'll end on some eye candy. Click here to see more of this whimsical "fluffy bubble" cosmetics package design style from industrial design firm found/Founded.