Mondi has announced a €16 million investment in its Solec facility in Poland, intended to enable the installation of new technology that will lead to an expanded FunctionalBarrier Paper portfolio for food and non-food applications.
The production at scale of a new packaging range called FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate will be facilitated by the investment. This is an ultra-high barrier paper for food applications, capable of protecting products from oxygen and water vapour while inside the packaging. FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate is also designed to be recyclable in paper waste streams across Europe, and Mondi said that initial trials of the product indicate that both consumers and end users will prefer it over aluminium and plastic-based alternatives.
Dirk Gabriel, COO for consumer flexibles at Mondi, comments, ‘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.’
The manufacturer said that industrial scale production of the FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate range is expected in the first quarter of 2024.
