Columbus, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/25/2013 -- It took over a month of online voting by the public to decide the 2013 People’s Design Award winner, and in the end, the PackH2O Water Backpack was selected for the tremendous honor, presented by Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

The PackH2O™ Water Backpack is produced by Greif, Inc., the global leader in industrial packaging products and services. The backpack was designed to provide a cleaner, safer alternative to contaminated jerrycans and buckets used by women in developing countries to transport water from source to home. PackH2O is the first for-purpose, ergonomically correct and affordable water transport and storage device for the poorest among us. It also boasts a transparent liner that can be disinfected of water-borne pathogens using the SODIS method after each use.

Public voting for the People’s Design Award took place on the Smithsonian.com website during September and October. Of the twenty designs that received a nomination, the PackH2O Water Backpack received the most votes, and was ultimately announced as the winner during the National Awards Gala on October 17th.

About the People’s Design Award: The People’s Design Awards gives the American public a chance to select their favorite design from a pool of twenty nominations that emphasize how innovative design can make a difference in our everyday lives.

About the National Design Awards: The National Design Awards were conceived by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to honor lasting achievement in American design. The Awards are bestowed in recognition of excellence, innovation, and enhancement of the quality of life. First launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the annual Awards program celebrates design as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world, and seeks to increase national awareness of the impact of design through education initiatives.

About PackH2O LLC
PackH2O is a socially conscious distribution and marketing company that provides an innovative solution to water transportation and storage in developing areas around the world. As a social innovation brand, PackH2O is driven by a vision to improve lives through a sustainable business model. www.packH2O.com

About Greif, Inc.
Founded in 1877 and the fourth oldest publicly traded company in the US, Greif is the world leader in industrial packaging products and services. With facilities in more than 50 countries, the company produces steel, plastic, fibre, flexible, intermediate bulk, corrugated, reconditioned and multiwall containers and containerboard. The Company also provides filling, packaging, industrial packaging reconditioning and land management consulting services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in North America.