Mondi Introduces New Recyclable Packaging Film for Fresh and Processed Food
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Mondi Group has developed a fully-recyclable
polypropylene construction for thermoforming applications with a 23% reduction
in carbon footprint compared to existing packaging.
Flexible food packaging has traditionally
presented brand owners with a choice 末 either extract the maximum performance
parameters or make it fully recyclable. Achieving both goals at once has been
almost impossible ... until now.
Mondi, a global leader in sustainable paper and
packaging solutions, has created a recyclable polypropylene film that is ideal
for the thermoforming of flexible films for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
and vacuum packaging, which is known for its ability to extend the shelf life
of products such as meat and cheese.
Mondi’s film is certified as recyclable.
The new, coextruded material includes a top and
bottom web, with an internal barrier layer that comprises less than 5 percent
of the entire structure, meaning it qualifies as a mono-material construction
and is fully recyclable in existing waste streams. The Aachen, German-based
Institut cyclos-HTP 末 the Institute for Recyclability and Product
Responsibility 末 has independently certified that both the top and bottom webs
of this construction have the highest qualification "Class AAA" in recyclability.
The previous multi-material construction
rendered the previous packages unrecyclable and also resulted in a much higher
carbon footprint as confirmed by life cycle analyses.
"We’re delighted to report that this innovative
new film reduces the package’s carbon footprint by 23 percent compared to
existing conventional structures," said Günter Leitner, Managing Director of
Mondi Styria, the Austrian plant that produces this film.
The best of both worlds: fully recyclable while
keeping foods fresh
Thomas Kahl, Project Manager EcoSolutions for
Mondi Consumer Packaging, explains: "Mondi’s view is that packaging should
always be fit-for-purpose 末 paper where possible, plastic when useful 末 and
sustainable by design. The challenge with this project was to maintain the
functionality that is key to such applications, including excellent oxygen and
moisture barriers, and high puncture resistance 末 while also enhancing the
package’s recyclability. The latter factor was vital as Mondi continues to support
the principles of a circular economy."
In summary, Mondi customers who use this product
can:
- thermoform a fully recyclable PP film that retains all the functionality of the previous, multi-material construction
- achieve great sealability in the resulting package due to both the top and bottom web being the same, compatible material
- benefit from excellent optical properties and an outstanding gas barrier that provides for longer shelf life of the packed foodstuffs.
Users also benefit by tapping into Mondi’s years
of experience in food packaging, with Mondi’s plant in Styria offering
extensive expertise high-barrier applications for food packaging.
A step closer to a circular economy
This latest development is fully in line with
the design guidelines of major brand owners and retailers who have
sustainability in mind. This thermoformable food packaging corresponds to their
requirements for redesigning flexible packaging to become more sustainable,
while also meeting the challenges laid out in the ‘New Plastic Economy’ global
initiative (www.newplasticseconomy.org)
which is striving toward a more circular and sustainable economy.
