One of our most recent fibre-based products is a paper food tray , which can replace the plastic trays for food such as sliced cheese or meat commonly found in the deli sections of many retailers . Our paper trays reduce plastic use by up to 70 % and carbon footprint by about two-thirds when compared with the previous packaging , and importantly there is no compromise for the retailers on shelf life . REWE Group , one of Austria ’ s biggest retailers , currently uses these trays for its organic cheese .
In 2018 , we set up our EcoSolutions team to support our customers in finding the most sustainable solutions for their packaging needs , reducing the volume of raw materials used , innovating with recycled materials and recommending products specially designed for recycling . We are supporting our customers to make changes such as switching from plastic-based packaging to a fibre-based solution or transitioning from rigid plastic to flexible plastic and thereby save up to 70 % of the material needed .
At a time when the world is scrambling to reduce global waste , both paper and plastic packaging are necessary : one can ’ t wholly replace the other as they each have distinct advantages and uses . Mondi ’ s focus is on being sustainable by design , moving away from only thinking about materials to a broad approach of sustainable systems and circular economies .
Written by Gladys Naylor , Group Head of Sustainable Development , Mondi Group
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