Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has collaborated with Swiss Krono to replace the company's plastic packaging for its laminate flooring products with paper packaging. The partnership demonstrated how Mondi’s kraft paper grammages can meet the demanding requirements of industrial packaging that was traditionally made of plastic.
Swiss Krono, a global manufacturer of wood-based materials for interior design and construction, has introduced Mondi’s Ecovantage Kraft Pro and Advantage StretchWrap paper grades at its plants in Germany. The two kraft paper grades replace the shrink and stretch films previously used for wrapping boxed flooring and securing pallet loads, simplifying logistics while reducing plastic consumption and carbon emissions from tray and pallet packaging.
In the primary packaging stage, Swiss Krono now uses Mondi’s Ecovantage Kraft Pro, a high-strength kraft paper containing 20% recycled paper that can be recycled in conventional paper streams. A Hugo Beck packaging machine wraps the material around the trays, securing 10 laminate panels and providing protection thanks to its high puncture resistance. According to an internal Mondi product impact assessment, this paper solution has lower CO2e emissions than conventional polyethylene shrink film [1]. Its excellent printability allows Swiss Krono to integrate brand designs and user instructions directly onto the paper during the process, eliminating the additional inserts previously required.
The switch from plastic to paper also improves handling for end users: because the paper allows the panels to breathe during transport, the flooring can be installed immediately upon delivery, bypassing the 24-hour acclimatisation period required for plastic-wrapped products.
In a later stage of the process, Mondi’s Advantage StretchWrap secures the palletised loads of wrapped boxes using specialised PaperWrap machinery. The 70 gsm kraft paper provides high stretchability, great tear resistance, and keeps the load stable. Made from 100% kraft paper, Advantage StretchWrap has no plastic coating and is fully recyclable in conventional European paper waste streams. Mondi's internal assessment also shows a significant reduction in CO2e emissions for this application compared to conventional plastic stretch film [2].
The new packaging concept also eliminates the need for a heat-shrink tunnel, thereby reducing energy consumption and simplifying production. Swiss Krono reports that integrating the printing and wrapping processes has saved time, material, and operational costs.
Ronald Symossek, Project Manager at Swiss Krono, comments: "Mondi helped us address our packaging challenges with paper solutions that deliver both sustainability and process efficiency improvements. The materials run reliably on our automated lines, and we have already received very positive feedback from our customers and end users."
Carsten Breiter, International Key Account Manager at Mondi Kraft Paper, says: "Welcoming Swiss Krono as a new customer shows how our kraft paper portfolio can be used in demanding industrial packaging environments. By replacing unnecessary plastic with paper solutions, we help our customers transition to circular packaging while contributing to our own MAP2030 sustainability framework."