Mondi, a packaging and paper supplier, has teamed up with the UK’s number 1 frozen food retailer to provide renewable, recyclable packaging in a move that further validates Mondi’s approach of using “paper where possible, plastic when useful”.

Iceland is replacing its previous packaging with Mondi’s versatile functional barrier paper across a number of its ranges. The first newly packaged product to hit the shelves earlier this month was the retailer’s frozen chicken dippers, which reduces the amount of plastic used per year by 80%.

The functional barrier paper is made from renewable resources with Mondi managing the paper production and coating in-house, providing a fully integrated solution. It is easy for consumers to recycle the paper in existing waste streams and as paper is the most widely recycled material in the world – 74% of paper and 83% of paper-based packaging in Europe are recycled – the solution ensures that the paper can be recycled at the end of its life, contributing to a circular economy.

Stuart Lendrum, head of packaging, quality and food safety at Iceland, adds, “We’ve been bold in our aims to remove plastic: we were the first UK retailer to publish our plastic footprint along with our pledge to ultimately become plastic free. To deliver on this “Doing it Right” promise, we knew we would need the expertise of global packaging suppliers like Mondi. Their collaborative EcoSolutions approach meant that our teams worked together to consider all elements of the product manufacturing and delivery journey. We now have a sustainable solution that is efficient to use, protects the products and meets the expectations of our customers.”

Mondi’s functional barrier paper offers complete product protection, ensuring the product has the same shelf life as it did with its previous packaging. Thanks to the high stiffness of the paper, the packaging is puncture resistant and ensures an efficient filling process that runs seamlessly on existing machinery.

Falk Paulsen, sales and business development director, Extrusion Solutions, Mondi, says, “Iceland has set out ambitious sustainability targets and has already made great strides in reducing plastic packaging. Some products need more specialised solutions to ensure consumers get safe, high-quality food. Mondi’s functional barrier paper uses a wafer-thin coating that provides all the necessary barriers to keep food fresh and can still be recycled. It is a pleasure to be working with Iceland on their range of frozen food products.”

Iceland aims to be the first UK supermarket to become plastic neutral, adapting to paper packaging wherever possible and offsetting its remaining plastic footprint by recovering and recycling environmental and nature-bound waste plastic. By working with Mondi, Iceland has benefitted from the packaging specialist’s EcoSolutions approach to work closely together to ask the right questions and develop the most sustainable packaging solutions.