Mondi is announcing the Spanish launch of its ground-breaking SolmixBag in collaboration with Cemex, by bringing it to the building industry on the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. Cemex, a global buildings materials company, and Mondi established a valuable partnership during the past 12 years, kicking off the recent collaboration about SolmixBag in 2021. Cemex was looking for a sustainable cement bag to meet legal requirements on the Spanish islands regarding landfilling and incineration of waste, as well as drive its own sustainability goals. Jointly, the two global companies found a fit-for-purpose solution, achieving zero waste with the introduction of SolmixBag, complying with the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the packaging . SolmixBag is a one-ply paper bag made from 100% kraft paper which stores and transports dry cement, screed and coarse pre-mixes: its ingenious design means that it disintegrates during the mixing process, eliminating dust and waste on the building site. Strong and durable, the bag is resistant to punctures and dissolves when it gets in contact with water in the cement mixer, where the fibre packaging integrates with the cement.

A total of 28.1 million tonnes of specialty papers will be consumed in 2025, according to Smithers, the global authority on the paper and packaging industries. Competing factors will push overall consumption to 31.3 million tonnes in 2030, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.1% for the next 5 years. Flexible packaging papers are increasingly important to the industry. Demand is rising fastest for machine-glazed papers, already around half of global sales. Sales will also be strong for coated (C1S) packaging papers over the forecast period; several machine rebuilds are set to be completed in the US, and new machines coming on stream in China. The replacement of plastic by paper in packaging requires the development of better functional and barrier coatings. Most companies active in this space are investing in new coating chemistries, advanced substrates, and innovative ways to apply the barrier material. In addition to the coatings, using nano-cellulose to enhance both substrates and coatings is increasingly common.

Containerboard production was down 3.0 percent compared to February 2017 and down 1.1 percent year-to-date. The month-over-month average daily production compared to January 2018 was 3.2 percent lower. The containerboard operating rate was 94.1 percent, or 3.1 percentage points lower than the same month last year. Production for exports was 6.0 percent lower than February 2017 and 8.4 percent lower year-to-date.