Welton, Bibby & Baron is converting Mondi’s thinnest barrier paper into premium bags for pre-packed fresh bread products; these bags are designed to be recycled at kerbside once emptied.
FunctionalBarrier Paper Reduce is described as the ‘thinnest paper possible’ among Mondi’s barrier paper offerings. Even so, it reportedly provides the necessary strength for higher filling weights while protecting foods against water vapour, grease, and moisture.
The base kraft paper is produced from responsibly sourced fibres and coated in-house, Mondi says. In bread applications, it is thought to preserve the freshness, softness, and moistness of the product while also being recyclable at end-of-life, unlike previous, unrecyclable packaging materials.
Available in brown and white, the bags are designed to offer a premium appearance, with windows providing full visibility of the product within. The brown bag features a glassine window that can reportedly be recycled together with the bag at end-of-life; the white bag’s window is made of detachable film, designed for easy removal and recyclability in a separate bin.
Mondi says the paper bags are eligible for an On Pack Recycling Label Scheme (OPRL) recycling label and can be recycled via kerbside collection in the UK.
“With our MAP2030 sustainability targets, we are fully committed to developing circular packaging options to satisfy our customers and their end users, who are looking for more sustainable and convenient solutions in their shopping habits and overall lifestyles,” explains Mick Robinson, business solutions manager Functional Paper and Films at Mondi. “Long-standing partnerships like this mean we can actively support brands and retailers in their steps towards sustainability.”
Andrew Lockyear, technical manager at Welton Bibby & Baron, adds: “Close collaboration with the Mondi team meant we had access to a lot of expertise throughout the whole process, enabling us to turn around this brilliant result in such a short time frame. To meet possible future regulative requirements, we’ll be working with Mondi a lot more, further improving existing solutions and proactively leading the sustainability game.”
In other news, Mark & Spencer recently declared itself the first UK retailer to package its garlic baguettes in paper. The FSC-approved packs are expected to save 5.5 million units of plastic every year and fulfil consumers’ growing desire for retailers to consume less plastic in their packaging.
Additionally, Lantmännen Unibake Finland, UPM Specialty Papers, and Adara Pakkaus collaboratively produced a food-contact, fibre-based barrier paper as an inner liner for frozen baked goods packaging last year. It has since been nominated for a Sustainability Award under the Commercialized Climate category.
Mondi has also been nominated – both for its IntegoBag filmless bag in the Pre-Commercialized Renewable Materials category, and alongside Amazon for their paper-padded envelope in the E-Commerce category.
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