Mondi in partnership with Fiorini International has successfully created and launched a new fully recyclable paper packaging for a premium Italian pasta brand.

Following a complete overhaul of its packaging design, Antico Pastificio Umbro decided to combine the expertise of Mondi and Fiorini International to design and produce a paper bag with a viewing window for its premium pasta ranges. After the complete rollout, this new packaging solution will support the company’s sustainability goal of reducing plastic by saving up to 20 tonnes of plastic per year.

The successful partnership between Mondi and Fiorini International has resulted in an innovative paper bag design with a large window made of transparent, recyclable and biodegradable cellulose that allows the end user to see the contents. Thanks to the paper selected by Mondi and Fiorini International, the bag is fully recyclable while offering the same protective properties as the previous plastic packaging. The pasta has the same shelf life and is kept safe during transport. A new closure system sealed with a special food contact hot-melt glue, together with a reinforced patch on the bottom, improves hygiene and ensures easy opening. Made from renewable resources, the packaging can be easily disposed of by consumers in existing paper waste streams. The high paper recycling rates in Europe of over 80% mean that paper that has reached the end of its life can contribute to a circular economy. The new pasta bag offers superior printability so that all brand and product messages can be communicated effectively and it has great runnability on filling machines. 

The groundbreaking packaging was included in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Upstream Innovation Guide to Packaging Solutions, published in November 2021. It was also part of The Waste Age Exhibition, hosted by the London Design Museum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, open to the public between October 2021 and February 2022. Here it was recognized as an innovative example of substitution for better recyclability, an approach that is in line with the Foundation’s vision for a circular economy for plastics.

Massimiliano Scottà, head of sales region South & America Kraft Paper, Mondi says: “We used our customer-centric EcoSolutions approach to develop this recyclable packaging and worked very closely with Fiorini International and Antico Pastificio Umbro. This is a great example of best practice in creating packaging that keeps materials in circulation and contributes to Mondi’s MAP2030 sustainability target to make 100% of its products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. In addition, we are delighted to have been part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and London Design Museum's Upstream Innovation installation, which is about rethinking packaging and developing solutions that are sustainable by design: This means focusing on the purpose while optimizing the material and even changing it completely if necessary, as with this new paper bag for pasta.”

Pietro Fiorini, sales director packaging division at Fiorini International, explains: “Ethical and environmental responsibility are the values that lead the daily activities in Fiorini International. These same values, together with research on market trends, innovative technologies and a qualified manufacturing system, have been the key elements we used in this exciting project of transformation. We designed, together with Mondi, the best-performing paper solution for the pasta bag. We are proud to be part of a sustainable mission and we know that this requires a systematic and cooperative approach among stakeholders in the supply chains, from producer to consumer. This includes involving consumers in initiatives to raise awareness of sustainable consumption and lifestyles and providing them with appropriate information about packaging. The partnership with Pastificio Umbro is a successful pilot project where Fiorini International’s experience, research, innovation and technology have defined a sustainable production model perfectly integrated within a brand strategy and a common mission.”

Leonardo Faccendini, CEO Antico Pastificio Umbro, concludes: “Reducing the environmental impact of our products – their manufacture, packaging and transport – is a top priority for us as a company, and replacing traditional plastic packaging with paper is a major step towards achieving this goal. We are investing in new systems and a plant and are planning to roll out this plastic-free packaging across our entire pasta range.”