Intelligently Designed Biodegradable Packaging

The launch of the first New Plastics Economy Global Commitment (NPEGC) last 14th of March 2019 in Vienna, Austria has led businesses to double their efforts in eliminating plastics waste and thereby contribute to a better world.

- Doddie Householder

The NPEGC initiative, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, was established to work towards eliminating plastic pollution and creating 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

To address this, one of the world’s leading producers of kraft paper and paper bags has come up with flexible plastic solutions, aiming to reduce the amount of plastic required by 70%. Mondi, a global leader in packaging solutions, has many innovative answers to reduce plastic waste. The company first started collaborating with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2017, and then later joined the NPEGC initiative in 2018.

For innovative paper and plastic packaging, Mondi unveils its EcoSolutions that are environment-friendly and sustainable by design. The company also recently presented a completely recyclable stand-up pouch, its monomaterial BarrierPack Recyclable, with removable wrap-around label which it developed within the Recyclate Initiative and according to the Cradle-to-Cradle principle.

Sustainable biodegradable pouch

For pre-made packaging needs, Mondi offers its BarrierPack Recyclable stand-up pouch that is 100% recyclable. The pouch, constructed from two layers of polyethylene (PE), is made with stiffer, stronger and lighter material. This makes the BarrierPack Recyclable better than a conventional PET/PE laminate of the same thickness. BarrierPack Recyclable pouch also offers the added benefit of a high processing/fill rate and can formed directly on form/fill/seal (FFS) machines.

“Intelligently designed packaging can help reduce the amount of waste that enters the environment,” says Thomas Kahl, Project Manager EcoSolutions, Mondi Consumer Packaging. “Researchers are increasingly developing paperand fibre-based packaging that offers barriers to replace plastic foil, which can render mixed-material packages unrecyclable.