Mondi and ATS-Tanner partner on kraft paper banding solution

04 Apr 2023 --- Mondi and ATS-Tanner have created kraft paper bundle packaging, which the companies say is strong enough to replace the plastic on single or bundle packages ideal for fruit, vegetable, drink and e-commerce end-uses. 

ATS-Tanner uses Mondi’s kraft paper Advantage MF SpringPack and converts it into a band by adding a functional barrier on both sides of the paper. The paper is sealed using ultrasound, eradicating the need for any adhesive. 

The companies say they do so to ensure the products are secured with minimum packaging, reducing waste and delivering a cost-efficient solution. ATS-Tanner markets the coated bands under the brand name TruePaper.

“We have had solutions for [bandings] for some time, but they have not always been flexible enough. With TruePaper, we now have a solution that is extremely flexible and accepted in legal terms throughout Europe that is ahead of its time and also complies with future rules,” Thomas Weber, content manager at ATS-Tanner, tells PackagingInsights.

Strength without plastic 
Mondi’s kraft paper can hold individually labeled products or bundles, reducing unnecessary plastic. The band can hold weights of up to 20 kg, allowing brands to use it for fruit and vegetable bundles, multipacks of bottles and other consumer goods. 

Mondi and ATS-Tanner’s kraft paper banding solution. The band is recyclable in existing paper recycling streams across Europe and fulfills Germany’s ratio rule of 95-5. The rule states that the foreign material content must not exceed 5%. In other words: If a material mass accounts for at least 95%, the packaging is not a composite.

“We wanted to develop an ultrasonically weldable band that does not contain plastic and does not interfere with the paper recycling processes,” says Weber.

“We have also been looking for a solution on how to consistently and easily comply with the 95-5 rule, which is enshrined in various packaging laws and states that the foreign material content must not exceed 5% for a material to be considered a monomaterial.” 

TruePaper for waste management
The paper ensures printing results meaning brand, product, return and responsible waste management messaging can be communicated to the end user.

“We trialed various paper grades and Mondi’s kraft paper offers the strength to substitute plastic packaging with this paper band. TruePaper is a resource-efficient solution that can – depending on the banding machine used – wrap products measuring up to 1300 x 500 mm and is convenient to store,” says Serge Tanner, owner and CEO at ATS-Tanner. 

“Using paper instead of plastic is not the only advantage: an ultrasonic banding machine from ATS-Tanner consumes 98% less energy than it would take to pack a like-sized delivery using a shrink wrapping machine.”

Mondi asserts the bands are made from renewable, responsibly sourced, certified materials. 

“On the one hand, we are optimizing the composition of the coating, and on the other hand, we are experimenting with different paper grades to be able to cover as many requirements as possible in terms of moisture resistance, print image, tensile strength and so on,” asserts Weber. 

Mondi recently told PackagingInsights how it designs recyclable solutions to contribute to a circular economy, but regional and international recycling infrastructure remains insufficient.

By Sabine Waldeck

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