MONDI has announced it is spending €16 million on technology to produce a new packaging range called FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate.
The product is described as an ‘ultra-high’ barrier paper-based solution for food that meets demand for sustainable packaging.
The addition expands Mondi’s portfolio of high-barrier paper-based packaging for food products such as dried foods and powdered milk as well as for applications in the home and personal care industry.
These products require packaging that offer protection from water vapour and oxygen and can ensure a long shelf-life.
Mondi said its FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate range is designed to be recyclable in paper waste streams across Europe while providing the necessary product protection. Initial trials are said to have shown positive results for both customers and end consumers.
The investment at the Solec plant in Poland enables Mondi to produce the high-barrier functional paper at scale.
Dirk Gabriel, COO consumer flexibles at Mondi, said, “As a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, we have been focused on the aluminium barrier challenge for some time. We knew that with research, development and investment in new technologies, we would find an effective replacement that would provide the necessary protection for our customers’ food products.
“FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate helps our existing and new food producing customers to switch to a more sustainable packaging solution and thus contribute to their sustainability goals. It is a tangible example of our Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) commitment to making all our packaging solutions reusable, recyclable and compostable.”
Industrial scale production of the FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate range is expected in the first quarter of 2024.
