Mondi introduces smart packaging solutions for watermelon transportation and storage
Vienna, 12 July 2017 – With roughly one third of the food produced in the world (approximately 1.3 billion tonnes) being lost or wasted, the market demands innovative solutions that will prevent further food loss. In developing countries 40% of losses occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain due to faulty transportation and storage. Mondi, an international packaging and paper Group, recently developed an innovative packaging solution that solves this problem for the watermelon supply chain and enhances product appearance at the point of sale.
At present, premium watermelons are sold in supermarkets in octabins, corrugated or plastic trays or “A” boxes. However, the Watermelon’s Dream project from Mondi offers a unique alternative to standard solutions with its unique rectangular shape and a window showing the product packed inside. Moreover, its folded mono-corrugated cardboard design is easy to assemble and stack during transportation thanks to its ergonomic structure. This saves transportation costs by allowing 50% more watermelons to be shipped in one truck.
Another benefit is end-user convenience; with the new design it is easier for consumers to carry their heavy watermelon home from the supermarket. Last, but not least, Watermelon Dream allows more branding opportunities thanks to a larger printing area and excellent product display. As a result, the new packaging for watermelons allows the product to stand out from the crowd as a premium offering with the ideal shape to be placed also directly in the shelves. The concept was successfully launched in Turkish supermarkets and is available for the global market.
Hasanali KOÇ, General Manager at Antalya Seracılık, added: “The new packaging from Mondi provided a smart pick-and-go solution which simplifies transportation and storage of watermelons, both for retailers and consumers, and still looks great on the shelf. We are delighted with the new functional design also because we managed to reduce the food waste in the supply chain by 13%.”
Fatos Adak, Product Innovation Manager at Mondi Corrugated Packaging Turkey, commented: “The Watermelon’s Dream is an excellent example of Mondi’s capabilities to address market needs for convenience, differentiation at point of sale and sustainability. Mondi products touch the lives of millions of people every day, we therefore want our products to have a positive impact on society and the communities in which we operate.
“In light of the diverse packaging portfolio Mondi offers, we have identified, together with suppliers, customers, research institutes and experts from the Mondi Food Safety Laboratory, four areas of focus when designing smarter packaging solutions; reducing damage in transit/storage, extending shelf and product life, adapting packaging design to evolving socio-demographics and achieving packaging traceability for better inventory management. Each one of these elements is evident in The Watermelon’s Dream and we are very excited to bring this creative format to market.”
Contact
Andrea Richardson, Marketing Manager, Corrugated Packaging
Tel: +43 (0)1 79013 4972, Fax: +43 (0)1 79013 960
Email: andrea.richardson@mondigroup.com
About Mondi Corrugated Packaging
Mondi Corrugated Packaging is a leading supplier of corrugated packaging in Europe, with strong focus on Central and South-East Europe. Through a network of 16 plants the company provides innovative design and state-of-the-art printing and gluing technology. The packaging types range from standard transit cases and heavy duty containers to upscale consumer displays. They are applied as shelf- or retail-ready solutions, transport cases or large containers when shipping FMCG's, perishables, consumer durables, industrial and dangerous goods as well as other products.
We are Mondi: IN TOUCH EVERY DAYAt Mondi, our products protect and preserve the things that matter.
Mondi is an international packaging and paper Group, employing around 25,000 people across more than 30 countries. Our key operations are located in central Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa. We offer over 100 packaging and paper products, customised into more than 100,000 different solutions for customers, end consumers and industrial end uses - touching the lives of millions of people every day. In 2015, Mondi had revenues of €6.8 billion and a return on capital employed of 20.5%.
The Mondi Group is fully integrated across the packaging and paper value chain - from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and compound plastics, to developing effective and innovative industrial and consumer packaging solutions. Our innovative technologies and products can be found in a variety of applications including hygiene components, stand-up pouches, super-strong cement bags, clever retail boxes and office paper. Our key customers are in industries such as automotive; building and construction; chemicals; food and beverage; home and personal care; medical and pharmaceutical; packaging and paper converting; pet care; and office and professional printing.
Mondi has a dual listed company structure, with a primary listing on the JSE Limited for Mondi Limited under the ticker code MND and a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange for Mondi plc, under the ticker code MNDI.
For us, acting sustainably makes good business sense and is part of the way we work every day. We have been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2008 and the JSE's Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index since 2007.