Mondi Receives EPRC Recycling Award

This article was originally shared by Cepi and includes additional information from the website of Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper. It is being shared here for Ahead of the Curve readers interested in how top-performing producers approach sustainability goals.

The Awarding Ceremony of the 10th Edition of the European Paper Recycling Awards took place earlier this month at the European Parliament Brussels and was hosted by Member of the European Parliment Jeannette Baljeu.

Every two years, the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) recognizes outstanding European projects, initiatives, or campaigns that change the way Europeans recycle. Projects that support society, industry, and public institutions in reaching ever higher paper recycling rates. The ceremony awards the winners that have presented excellent and game-changing projects in innovative technologies, R&D, information, and education.

The EPRC was set up as an industry self-initiative in November 2000 to monitor progress towards meeting the paper recycling targets set out in the 2000 European Declaration on Paper Recycling. Since then, the commitments in the Declaration are renewed every five years. The latest report by the EPRC shows that the paper value chain is still on track to reach a 76 percent paper recycling rate by 2030. Paper is already outperforming every other material on recycling and setting the standard for the rest of the world.

Today, paper products in Europe achieve an overall recycling rate of 75.1 percent, while paper-based packaging reaches an impressive 87 percent. More than ever, collection, sorting and recycling takes place locally within Europe. This is the result of extensive investments by the European industry over the years, valued at several billion euros.

“Our European paper recycling system is successful not by chance, but by design," commented Valeria Salvadori, chair of the EPRC. "Decades of collaboration across the value chain—from paper manufacturers and recyclers to collectors, municipalities, and brand owners—have created a system that works. And it also works because the right policies are in place. The paper recycling system that delivers real environmental benefits, economic value, and industrial resilience.”

Dr. Elisabeth Schwaiger, Mondi’s Head of Innovation for Flexible Packaging, accepted this year’s Award recognizing Mondi’s work in delivering a range of functional paper packaging with specific barriers that are easy to process for recyclers. This an important element in increasing the recyclability of paper from the design stage and with practical industrial applications: prototypes were tested in Mondi's own Recycling lab, applying the Cepi testing method for conventional recycling mills, a recognized industry standard.

“I’m proud to accept this award on behalf of Mondi and our teams who are committed to making packaging sustainable by design. Our recyclable Functional Barrier Papers show how innovation and rigorous, science-led testing can deliver real circular solutions,” Schwaiger said at the ceremony.

The Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) is a sustainability framework that sets out the actions the company will need to take to meet its ambitious sustainability goals by 2030. It covers three targeted areas:

Circular Driven Solutions:

In 2024, Mondi assessed 1,776 products using its in-house life cycle-based tools and also calculated 224 product carbon footprints. Based on revenue in 2024, 87 percent of its portfolio of packaging and paper solutions is reusable, recyclable, or compostable (it was 85 percent in 2023).

Mondi plants to continue focusing on Flexible Packaging products, as 100 percent of the portfolios from its Corrugated Packaging and Uncoated Fine Paper businesses are already recyclable or compostable. By the end of 2024, we had a sustainable alternative in place, or identified and in development, for 97 percent of its Flexible Packaging products.

Taking Action on Climate:

According to Mondi, 100 percent of its fiber is responsibly sourced, with 76 percent FSC™ or PEFC certified, with the balance being controlled wood. In 2024, 79 percent of Mondi's energy was from renewable sources. The company also reports a 31 percent reduction of its absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, compared with its 2019 baseline.

In addition, in 2024 Mondi engaged on decarbonization topics with strategic raw material suppliers and organized workshops to discuss primary data availability, supplier GHG reduction targets and their transition plans.

Empowered People:

With 22,000 Mondi employees in more than 30 countries, Mondi says that the company wants to inspire a global and diverse workforce that feels empowered and safe to develop the skills they need now and in the future.  

"Our role as an employer is to support our people in realizing their individual potentials," states the website. "We aim to create an inclusive work environment that provides equal opportunities and values safety, health and mental wellbeing."

Click to learn more about Mondi's Sustainability Performance.

For inquiries about the European Paper Recycling Awards, contact Piotr Pogorzelski, Cepi Media Relations Manager at p.pogorzelski@cepi.org.