Mondi invests in FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate

Packaging Solutions

Mondi is investing €16 million in technology to produce a new packaging range called FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate. This ultra high barrier paper based solution for food meets growing customer demand for sustainable packaging that contributes to a circular economy.

The new addition expands the company’s existing portfolio of FunctionalBarrier Papers providing 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. The current industry standards to achieve this level of barrier protection are unrecyclable solutions made of plastic or lined with aluminium. Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate range is designed to be recyclable in paper waste streams across Europe while providing the necessary product protection.

Initial trials of the range have shown positive results for both customers and end consumers, indicating that the paper solution is widely accepted and preferred over unrecyclable aluminium and plastic based alternatives.

The investment at the Solec plant in Poland, enables Mondi to produce the high barrier functional paper at scale using the latest technology and efficient processes. Thanks to the company’s integrated value chain, it can offer the complete solution in-house: from production and coating to printing and converting it into the final packaging product. This provides customers with an efficient solution for their packaging needs.

Dirk Gabriel, COO consumer flexibles, Mondi, commented: ‘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.