Sustainable packaging and paper company Mondi has launched a new extrusion line at its Mondi coating facility in Štĕtí, the Czech Republic, to facilitate the customer transition to more sustainable packaging solutions.

The extrusion line is part of a broader investment that includes a new production building equipped with advanced machinery for coating and slitting.

This expansion bolsters the production of recyclable FunctionalBarrier papers and other high-quality coated papers.

With tailor-made barrier properties, these paper-based solutions can be used for a variety of applications, including both food and non-food contact packaging, as well as industrial uses such as case linings for solid board and barrier liners for corrugated case materials.

Mondi functional paper and films COO Marko Schuster said: “The start-up of our new extrusion line at Štětí reflects Mondi’s commitment to helping customers on their sustainability journey. It further contributes to meeting our own MAP2030 commitments by designing innovative packaging and paper solutions that keep materials in circulation and avoid waste.

"We are excited to continue collaborating closely with our customers and contributing to a circular economy.”

The FunctionalBarrier papers, a key component of Mondi's re/cycle portfolio, present innovative solutions that are recyclable within the existing paper waste streams across Europe.

These papers are designed as fibre-based alternatives to plastic for horizontal form fill seal/vertical form fill seal (HFFS/VFFS) applications.

They are crafted to optimise material use, reducing paper and polymers to the necessary minimum. The papers have up to a 95/5 paper-to-plastic ratio, which is designed for recycling following recognised industry guidelines such as those from 4evergreen.

Furthermore, these papers are free of polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), aligning with environmental and sustainability standards.

Earlier this month, the company completed a $95.3m upgrade at its Mszczonów corrugated packaging plant near Warsaw, Poland, to increase capacity.