Mondi and Essity launch recycled packaging for period products

Mondi has announced its collaboration with Essity and Dow to produce recycled secondary packaging for Essity’s feminine care line.

Mondi’s new design aspires to reduce the use of fossil-based materials by implementing renewable and recycled materials sourced from the paper industry, giving new life to a by-product from circular feedstock. Mechanically recycled content from post-consumer material is also utilised in the new design. Their collaboration with Dow has resulted in an extruded film that, once printed on, is converted into a bag.

This will then package Essity’s range of sanitary towels, which includes Bodyform, Libresse, Nana and Nuvenia. Reportedly, these products were already sold in bags produced with 50% renewable materials, but their improvement will live up to Mondi’s self-proclaimed packaging goals – working towards 100% recyclability, and using up to 85% biomass, renewable or recycled material in all bags where up to 25% are recycled plastics.

Other perks of the new packaging are said to include light and moisture protection, strong sealing properties, and high print quality.

Guosheng Zhang, Global Technician Innovation Manager Feminine Care at Essity, stated, “We are excited to launch the new feminine care packaging that has a reduced carbon footprint and will contribute to our sustainable innovations. The solution demonstrates our and Mondi’s commitment to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: to work towards full recyclability and to increase the use of recycled plastic in our packaging.”

Marjo Kuisma of Regional Sales Consumer Flexibles at Mondi added, “The challenge was to find the best combination of renewable and recycled content that maintains product quality and the production efficiency already enjoyed by Essity. We tested several options until we found the most suitable solution.

“Working in collaboration with Essity and Dow validates our EcoSolutions approach; we go back to the start and ask the right questions to ensure we create the best possible solution for our customers.”

Another recent collaboration saw Mondi and Fiorni International design a recyclable paper bag for Antico Pastifico Umbro’s pasta products.

Last year, Essity’s Tork brand worked alongside its logistics partner HAVI to convert used paper cups from McDonald’s into hygiene paper.