Austrian packaging and paper firm Mondi and Werner & Mertz are set to launch a new recyclable pouch made from polyethylene next year.
The new pouch is designed to replace conventional flexible packaging for Frosch products. It contains detachable decorative panels and is claimed to be fully recyclable.
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The project began in 2014 when Mondi and Werner & Mertz began working on the development of a fully recyclable packaging. The partners intended to reverse-engineer the recycling process in an effort to ensure all parts of the packaging were suitable for recycling.
Werner & Mertz Group’s packaging development head Immo Sander said: “If you want to avoid a garbage-in-garbage-out scenario, the entire value chain must be aligned, from packaging producers through to players in sorting and recycling, and to buyers of recycled material.”
During development, Werner & Mertz and Mondi engaged recycling companies Der Grüne Punkt and EPEA Switzerland. Institut cyclos-HTP was also selected for certification at a later stage.
Mondi’s consumer goods packaging technical services manager Jens Kösters said: “We worked our way through an innovation funnel, testing different materials until we arrived at a designed-for-recycling concept that convinced everyone at each point of the value chain.
“Furthermore, the concept offers clear benefits related to sealing strength and maximum filling volume.”
The pouch comprises a spout and a cap that are also made of polyethylene.
Sander further added: “We dress the pouch up in an eye-catching outer garment that is printed with the brand design on the front and consumer info on the back.
“When the pouch is empty, we undress it automatically by shredding and sorting the two components into separate recycling streams.”
