Mondi has inaugurated FlexStudios, a new 2300m² research and customer experience centre in Steinfeld, Germany. This state-of-the-art facility aims to foster the co-creation of flexible packaging solutions and promote a more sustainable future. Dominique Huret from Cape Decision attended the grand opening to provide an exclusive report for Packaging Europe.
With the opening of FlexStudios, Mondi is emphasizing its commitment to sustainable innovation. This state-of-the-art center is a place where ideas take shape, giving customers the opportunity to work together to develop and refine fit-for-purpose packaging solutions. By focusing on collaboration and smart design, Mondi is paving the way for a more sustainable packaging industry.
Mondi’s FlexStudios spans three floors of interactive space. One floor is dedicated to FlexStudios Inspire, an area for collaboration and creativity to develop fit-for-purpose, sustainable packaging solutions that meet consumer expectations and goals.
Walking down the creative floor of FlexStudios Inspire, most of Mondi’s recent award-winning packaging and numerous collaborations are showcased. “We prefer a reverse approach to presentations,” says Petra Nothdurfter, Head of Communication and Marketing for Flexible Packaging at Mondi. “Thanks to multiple interactive screens and product displays of Mondi’s sustainable packaging and paper solutions, we help our customers share and understand their needs and requirements. We listen to their challenges and together, we start to build innovative concepts.
“Among our recent paper projects, we have developed 100% paper Mailer packaging for Amazon, recyclable bread bags made of our FunctionalBarrier Paper and light-weight paper shopping bags containing recycled fibres. As far as flexible plastic packaging is concerned, one of our major plants is located right next door. Today, brand owners, particularly in the pet food sector, are increasingly turning to us for alternatives to multi-layer packaging and aluminium pouches. Much of our recent work in this area has focused on the creation of our re/cycle FlexiBag Reinforced - a mono-PE bag for dry pet food - as well our re/cycle Retort Standup Pouch - a mono-PP pouch suitable for sterilization. All the functionality of the packaging is retained, with only a slightly shorter shelf life, which is accepted by both consumers and brand owners. Sustainable solutions are becoming a must.”
Once the customer has an idea of their desired packaging, they are guided to the FlexStudios Innovate floor, where the feasibility checks begin.
“This is our pilot facility to test and develop new packaging solutions,” says Catia Costa, R&D Centre manager at Mondi Steinfeld FlexStudios. “We have a wide range of equipment: extrusion coating/lamination, printing and lamination equipment (solvent free, solvent based, water based), slitting as well as packaging and filling lines for different materials.
“This includes both horizontal and vertical filling, thermoforming and sealing. This allows customers to conduct trials without interrupting their own running production.
“In addition, we apply our material neutral approach, providing expertise in both paper and polymer packaging. This is a valuable asset to demonstrate our products’ performance and we can accelerate the whole production process.
“For me personally, this is a one-of-a-kind project and a fascinating opportunity to connect R&D and customers.”
The third part is FlexStudios Advance, which contains the laboratory and testing facilities. Here, as explained by Head of Innovation, Mondi Flexible Packaging, Elisabeth Schwaiger, “customers can benefit from our state-of-the-art expertise on the packaging produced. With advanced testing and materials characterization, we can accelerate the process.
“This R&D centre aims to demonstrate our hands-on approach to developing sustainable packaging. We look forward to our dedicated work with our customers here at FlexStudios. Combining their knowledge with ours will allow them to meet their sustainable packaging goals.
“This investment also contributes to our Mondi 2030 Action Plan for sustainable development, and more specifically to our objective of making 100% of our products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Mondi also has an R&D centre dedicated to testing recycling and food safety in Frantschach, Austria.”
This is indeed a strategically timely investment. With ambitious targets mandated by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the whole value chain faces an urgent need for collaborative product development and testing of innovation. Industry will be dealing with bottlenecks in relation to launching solutions that are recyclable and contain recycled content – so a facility such as FlexStudios, created to reduce time to market for sustainable packaging innovations – addresses a pressing demand.
Before cutting the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony, Thomas Ott, CEO Flexible Packaging at Mondi, put this investment in context (click here to watch his full interview).
“We all have to realise that times have changed,” he said. “Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, everything revolved around consumption; this is what kept the economy thriving – the golden age of consumerism.
“Products were designed to have a built-in expiry date. The reasoning was simple: if things lasted too long, people wouldn’t buy as much.
“Fast forward to today; we’re now dealing with the environmental and societal fallout from this approach. That’s why there’s a growing shift away from the old-school ‘take-make-use-dispose’ economy to something better: a circular economy. Here the goal is to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible by reusing, recycling, and regenerating them.
“We need to start pushing the idea of treating waste as a valuable business model at every step of the value chain. That means thinking more about the whole system.
“At Mondi, we are working on creating solutions that are sustainable by design and keep materials in circulation. After all, it’s not about pitting plastic against paper packaging. It’s about whether packaging is sustainable or not.
”The circular economy also needs to be understood as a business opportunity, a smarter, more sustainable way to drive growth. Building a sustainable circular economy means everyone needs to work together.
“Manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, and policymakers all have to collaborate: it’s the new way of doing things. Only by teaming up can we come up with solutions that balance what’s good for the planet with what works for business.”
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