Mondi has co-founded an alliance to improve the circularity of used paper bags in the construction industry. The Spain-based alliance, called Paper Sacks Go Circular Spain comprises of 12 European companies from the full value chain including Mondi. In Spain, construction waste accounts for more than 30% of the total waste generated, with a recovery rate of only 48% according to the latest report from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Paper Sacks Go Circular Spain is an alliance of companies that share a common interest in closing the loop and building a circular economy for paper bags in Spain. Starting with paper bags for construction materials, the coalition will look for synergies with other construction and demolition waste streams to increase volumes and achieve economies of scale.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has recognized a new Mactac® pressure-sensitive adhesive innovation for the association’s highest recyclability standard. The recognized adhesive – PUREfloat™ – is a permanent acrylic emulsion adhesive intended for polyester (PET) bottle labeling applications. It was designed specifically for applications where labels applied to PET containers can be washed off cleanly to allow the container to be recycled. “Meeting APR standards is a significant step for Mactac in demonstrating our company's commitment to the environmental impact and recyclability of our products,” says Kim Hensley, Senior Marketing Manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives.

The annual Green Packaging Star Awards recognise environmentally-friendly packaging and recycling solutions, as well as packaging-related improvements in operational processes in production, logistics, and distribution. The award is presented by Kompack magazine and the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology. The judges of these awards recognised the high standard of the following three Mondi products: 1. EcoVantage paper for Tesco shopping bags - Mondi's collaboration with the retailer aims to close the loop by working across the whole supply chain. The partnership involves Mondi recycling Tesco’s existing corrugated packaging waste and then transforming it into EcoVantage paper. 2. WalletPack Recyclable for well-known German deli meats - Working with Bell Germany, Mondi created packaging for the meat producer’s ‘Abraham’ range of sliced deli meats. WalletPack Recylable, a mono-material solution that helps prevent food waste and has been verified by the German institute cyclos-HTP as 93% recyclable. 3. Functional Barrier Paper substituting plastic packaging - Mondi’s barrier-coated functional papers aim to transform packaging for a range of products including food and toys where, until now, paper has been unimaginable as a sustainable alternative. An ideal replacement for plastic laminates, the barrier papers can be used for dry food, frozen food, secondary packaging, and flow pack applications.