Mondi announces its monomaterial packaging developed for Hau-Hau Champion, a dog food brand from Prima Pet Premium Oy of the Vafo Group, which it says replaces unrecyclable plastic packs while offering high barrier protection and resealable properties.
The monomaterial solution is aimed at helping Hau-Hau Champion – apparently one of Finland’s most popular dog food brands – to address the sustainability goals of end consumers while maintaining strong brand recognition in stores. Consumer feedback obtained through Mondi’s EcoSolutions approach asked for stronger carrying handles and a user-friendly reclosure to reduce waste by preventing the food from going stale.
Thomas Kahl, EcoSolutions project manager at Mondi, says of the collaboration process: “This involved asking many questions to gain deeper insight into the needs of the brand and its end users, as well as collaborating closely throughout the process to test and evaluate all solutions.
“The new packaging also supports Mondi’s MAP2030 sustainability goal to make 100% of its products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”
The previous multi-layer packaging for Hau-Hau dog food contained a metallised layer that meant it could not be recycled.
The new Hau-Hau packaging is made from a reel material for form-fill-and seal (FFS) 1.5 kg bags and FlexiBag Recyclable bags up to 15 kg. This consists of monomaterial PE, which the company claims can be deposited directly into Finnish plastic recycling streams.
In addition, the new Hau-Hau packaging features an anti-slip matte lacquer exterior and is fitted with a valve that allows air to escape, apparently optimising palletisation.
Suvi Sillvan, brand specialist at Hau-Hau Champion, adds: “With Hau-Hau’s brand refresh, we were looking for packaging that fully aligns with our commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of our products and operations as well as upgrades the packaging to match the high quality of the product content.
“Given that this is a premium product, we are especially pleased with the high-quality finish, including the printing, which retains brand familiarity on the shelf and informs consumers that they can easily recycle our dog food packs.”
Earlier this year, Mondi worked with Interquell, a German pet food producer, to create paper-based packaging bags with a plastic barrier for its portfolio, with the aim of reducing plastic content while offering product protection and convenient handling for consumers. In 2020, the company collaborated with another pet food brand – Zooplus AG, a leading European pet food online retailer – to provide a dry dog food product line that, like Hau-Hau’s new range, uses Mondi’s FFS reel material.
The new Hau-Hau packaging is already on shelves, but the rollout will be accelerated with a major brand relaunch across Finland in October 2021.
