Mondi and EW Technology fill “market gap” with paper pallet wrapping machine
20 Jun 2022 --- Mondi has teamed up with Austrian mechanical engineering company EW Technology to launch a new machine for paper pallet wrapping that is more efficient and environmentally sustainable on small-to-medium production lines than plastic pallet wrapping.
The two companies worked together to design the innovative machine, filling a gap Mondi identified in the pallet wrapping market. Offering two settings, the machine can be fully automated to wrap up to 60 pallets every hour or semi-automated to wrap 10-15 pallets per hour.
EW Technology’s mechanical engineering knowledge has been combined with Mondi’s paper packaging expertise to enable businesses to wrap pallets in Advantage StretchWrap paper. The new machine extends the possibilities for companies wanting to replace plastic pallet wrapping with a recyclable and renewable paper solution.
“We work with brands across various industries and recognized that companies seeking to be more [environmentally] sustainable and with smaller outputs require a customized machine for paper pallet wrapping,” says Babicz Bartosz, product manager Advantage StretchWrap at Mondi.
“This machine will mean that customers can successfully and safely wrap their products in paper for transportation, work toward a more circular system and make a positive contribution to the environment.”
Advantage StretchWrap was found to use 62% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to virgin plastic stretch film.Advantage StretchWrap
The machine takes a full reel of Mondi’s Advantage StretchWrap paper, allowing customers to replace the multilayer plastic, which is currently the industry standard for pallet wrapping. Advantage StretchWrap is 100% virgin paper, created with renewable materials and fully recyclable in existing paper waste streams across Europe.
Last year, Advantage StretchWrap was found to use 62% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to virgin plastic stretch film in a Mondi-commissioned life cycle assessment.
The paper pallet wrapper contains no plastic or coating but still ensures excellent strength and tension absorption.
User benefits
From a user point of view, there are further benefits. A full reel of Advantage StretchWrap can be applied to the new machine without needing to rewind. The larger dimensions of the Advantage StretchWrap reel mean that a replacement reel is only needed every 400-600 pallets compared to 40-80 pallets for plastic wrapping, providing a more efficient solution.
Philipp Ertl, co-founder EW Technology, says: “By taking a collaborative approach with Mondi, we were able to learn what was needed and work together to deliver a unique new offering in paper wrapping technology for palletized goods – one that will benefit companies across many industries.”
Meanwhile, Mondi has been receiving increased inquiries about fiber-based food packaging due to the recently-introduced UK Plastic Packaging Tax. However, plastic packaging remains necessary for high-barrier applications, and the company is also experiencing growing demand for recycled plastic solutions, Paul Wormald, the company’s sales director for UK & Nordic, told PackagingInsights.
Edited
By Natalie Schwertheim
