Boral to move from paper to recycled plastic bags for construction materials

Boral, a construction materials company, is set to switch its bagged dry mix products manufactured at its Maldon facility in Australia to packaging made from recycled plastic, which is fully recyclable at the end of life.

The company plans to roll out the new packaging incrementally from mid-July across a range of bagged products, including concrete, mortar, sand and cement, grout, and sand-based mixes.

The shift from the existing paper packaging aims to offer customers a “more durable, weather-resistant product that better reflects how products are stored, handled, and used across construction sites and retail environments.”

Rajeev Ramankutty, executive general manager for cement at Boral, says: “Boral is always looking at ways to enhance and innovate how we do things and deliver for clients, and the transition to recycled plastic packaging responds directly to how our customers operate.”

“Paper bags have served the industry for decades, but they come with limitations in durability, storage, and product loss. By moving to packaging made from recycled plastic that is fully recyclable at the end-of-life, we are improving product integrity, reducing waste across the value chain, and supporting more circular outcomes in building materials.”

Real-world solution

The airtight recycled plastic bag employs form, fill, and seal technology, providing the product with longer shelf life and reducing damage and waste, according to Boral.

The solution is developed to support outdoor storage without the need for additional undercover weather protection, offering greater flexibility for resellers and construction sites.

Boral has also improved accessibility in the packaging design, adopting industry-recognized iconography to outline the application of the product to enhance consumer awareness and understanding of product use, particularly for non-English speaking end-customers.

“We’re aligning our packaging with real-world site conditions. We are giving resellers greater flexibility to store products outdoors, reducing damage and waste, and making our range easier to use and understand from an end-customer perspective,” says Ramankutty.

“This is a practical step forward that strengthens performance and sustainability across our bagged dry mix portfolio, while meeting the needs of our resellers and customers.”

Last year, Berry Global provided its NorDiVent form-fill-seal film to Marlon, a Danish dry mortar company. The dry packaging solution incorporates 30% post-consumer recycled content, aiming to assist Marlon in meeting its sustainability goals.

Previously, Mondi, in collaboration with Cemex, launched its SolmixBag to the building industry on the Spanish Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca.