Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper, and the leader in the corrugated board packaging and industrial bags segments, takes another important step in its business strategy with the announcement of EkoFlex, its first paper for flexible packaging. The solution is targeted at diverse segments, such as food, hygiene, cleaning and pharmaceuticals, and helps to significantly reduce the use of plastic across the consumption chain. EkoFlex is produced from softwood (pine), resulting in an extensible paper with lower grammage, which offers better performance and greater resistance, with application in diverse market segments, especially in flexible packaging options such pillow bags, flow packs, stand up pouches and box pouches. EkoFlex is produced from Klabin paper, with feedstock from renewable sources derived from planted and certified forests. It is a repulpable and recyclable solution that is also certified for contact with food. The product is already available for sale in both the Brazilian market and for exports.

The certification underpins Mondi’s MAP2030 (Mondi Action Plan 2030) sustainability commitment to make 100% of its packaging and paper products reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025, ensuring a sustainable end-of-life for all paper and packaging products. While recyclability remains Mondi’s focus to keep fibres in circulation, composting can be a viable end-of-life option for certain applications, such as those disposed in the biowaste stream. Mondi’s kraft papers are made from renewable and certified sources, which can support customers to achieve their own sustainability targets. Customers can benefit from a comprehensive product range to meet requirements for industrial packaging, shopping bags for retailers and attractive food packaging for supermarket shelves. An example of Mondi’s compostable kraft papers is Advantage MF EcoComp, which is specifically designed for household and agricultural use and is used for paper bags for wet organic household waste. Another example is Mondi’s EcoVantage kraft paper, which combines fresh and recycled fibres for sustainable and food compliant shopping packaging.

“Reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 is critical to avoiding the most catastrophic environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change,” said Tom Salmon, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Berry Global. “As a global plastic packaging leader, we have a responsibility to protect the environment by minimizing the impact of our products, operations, and value chain as well as our business by limiting the exposure of our operations and supply chain to climate risk.” Achieving net-zero GHG emissions will require a range of solutions across Berry’s broad geographic footprint and diverse portfolio of converting and decorating technologies. Emissions reduction strategies primarily fall under three categories: *Circular plastics: drive circularity and reduce GHG emissions by moving away from virgin, fossil fuel-based plastic and using lighter weight, less carbon-intensive, circular materials, including recycled plastics and bio-based plastics made from renewable resources, like used cooking oil *Value-chain engagement: because most of the company’s value-chain emissions come from purchased goods and services, work with customers to develop lower-carbon solutions and suppliers to provide lower-carbon materials and services *Cleaner energy: increase investment in renewable energy to decrease use of fossil fuels, minimize the environmental impact of energy sources vital to manufacturing, continually improve energy efficiency to reduce overall energy dependence, and take steps to electrify processes within operations that consume gas and fuel