Mondi and traceless develop bio-circular coating

Mondi has partnered with advanced biomaterial engineers traceless to develop a new coating based on byproducts from the agricultural industry. This bio-circular coating is claimed to be the first of its kind and will be able to replace traditionally used plastic coating.

According to Mondi, there is an increasing demand for plastic alternatives in packaging and the new product will respond to the demand directly: made from renewable plant-based materials, namely residues from the agricultural industry, it eliminates the need for fossil raw materials.

traceless' consequential life-cycle assessment showed that the provision of traceless material to the market leads to overall greenhouse gas savings of 76 percent from sourcing to disposal, if the material is used as a replacement for virgin PET. If only the production and disposal phase is considered, these savings add up to 95 percent. Also, the material is certified home compostable by DIN CERTCO according to NF T51-800.

Varying products require different barriers in their packaging and the coated kraft paper is tested thoroughly for different purposes to ensure it can be used across different end-markets.

The in-depth trials have confirmed that kraft paper coated with traceless can resist water, oxygen and fat, while offering good printing abilities for different customers.

At the same time, the goal is to develop a technology that is also recyclable in existing recycling streams throughout Europe. Currently, the properties of the bio-based coating are further optimized, fine-tuning the product to make it fit for different packaging applications for various end-markets such as eCommerce, frozen food, fatty and non-fatty food.

Marko Schuster, COO of functional paper and films at Mondi, said: ‘We are always looking at what the next steps are in creating truly circular packaging, following our customers’ demands as well as our own innovative spirit. This is a fantastic example of how we can combine our R&D forces to be one step ahead in the sustainable packaging game, contributing to a circular economy.’

Anne Lamp, CEO and co-founder traceless, added: ‘Our mission is to make pollution and waste history by using materials that impact positively. The journey so far has been exciting and insightful, teaching us valuable lessons to ensure our packaging delivers excellent protection. By working with Mondi - its team, its machines and its products and processes - we are adapting our existing expertise in innovative biomaterials to reduce plastic barrier coatings in packaging. The goal is to create a truly fit-for-purpose product, that works for as wide a range of applications and industries as possible.’