Inside Mondi FlexStudios – and its innovation for circular packaging

With the opening of FlexStudios, we are emphasising our commitment to sustainable innovation. This state-of-the-art centre is a place where ideas take shape, giving customers the opportunity to work together to develop and refine fit-for-purpose packaging solutions. By focusing on collaboration and smart design, we are paving the way for a more sustainable packaging industry.  

FlexStudios spans three floors of interactive space. One floor is dedicated to FlexStudios Inspire, an area for collaboration and creativity to develop fit-for-purpose, sustainable packaging solutions that meet consumer expectations and goals. 

Walking down the creative floor of FlexStudios Inspire, most of our recent award-winning packaging and numerous collaborations are showcased. “We prefer a reverse approach to presentations,” says Petra Nothdurfter, Head of Communication and Marketing for Flexible Packaging at Mondi. “Thanks to multiple interactive screens and product displays of our sustainable packaging and paper solutions, we help our customers share their needs and requirements. We listen to their challenges and together, we start to build innovative concepts.

“Among our latest paper innovations, we’ve developed 100% paper mailer packaging, recyclable bread bags using our FunctionalBarrier Paper, and lightweight paper shopping bags with recycled fibres,” continued Nothdurfter. “In flexible plastic packaging, brand owners—especially in the pet food sector—are increasingly seeking alternatives to multi-layer packaging and aluminium pouches.  

“Our recent efforts have led to the creation of the re/cycle FlexiBag Reinforced, a cost-effective mono-PE bag with improved mechanical properties e.g. for dry pet food, and the re/cycle Retort Standup Pouch, a mono-PP pouch designed for sterilisation. These solutions maintain full packaging functionality. Sustainable solutions are no longer optional; they’re essential.” 

After experiencing the FlexStudios Inspire floor and the team has an idea of the needs of their desired packaging, they are guided to the FlexStudios Innovate floor, where the feasibility checks begin. 

“Our pilot facility is here to test and develop new packaging solutions,” says Catia Costa, R&D Centre Manager at Mondi FlexStudios. “We have a wide range of equipment: extrusion coating/lamination, printing and lamination equipment (solvent free, solvent based, water based), slitting as well as packaging and filling lines for different materials. 

“This includes both horizontal and vertical filling, thermoforming and sealing. It allows customers to conduct trials without interrupting their own running production. 

“In addition, we apply our material neutral approach, providing expertise in both paper and polymer packaging which is a valuable asset to demonstrate our products’ performance, and we can accelerate the whole production process. 

“For me personally, this is a one-of-a-kind project and a fascinating opportunity to connect R&D and customers.” 

The third part is FlexStudios Advance, which contains the laboratory and testing facilities. Here, as explained by Elisabeth Schwaiger, Head of Innovation, Mondi Flexible Packaging, “customers can benefit from our state-of-the-art expertise on the packaging produced. With advanced testing and materials characterisation, we can accelerate the process. 

“The R&D centre aims to demonstrate our hands-on approach to developing sustainable packaging. We look forward to our dedicated work with our customers here at FlexStudios. Combining their knowledge with ours will allow them to meet their sustainable packaging goals. 

“This investment also contributes to our Mondi Action Plan 2030 for sustainable development, and more specifically to our objective of making 100% of our products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.” 

This is indeed a strategically timely investment. The whole value chain faces an urgent need for collaborative product development and testing of innovation. Industry will be dealing with bottlenecks in relation to launching solutions that are recyclable and contain recycled content – so a facility such as FlexStudios, created to reduce time to market for sustainable packaging innovations – addresses a pressing demand. 

Before cutting the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony, Thomas Ott, CEO Flexible Packaging at Mondi, discussed the new centre in detail in a video interview with Packaging Europe, watch the full video below. 

We've embedded content from YouTube or Vimeo here. As these may collect personal data and track our viewing behaviour, we'll only load the video after you consent to their use of cookies and similar technologies as described in their privacy policy.

To view the video

Accept video cookies View externally

“We all have to realise that times have changed,” he said. “Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, everything revolved around consumption; this is what kept the economy thriving – the golden age of consumerism. 

“Products were designed to have a built-in expiry date. The reasoning was simple: if things lasted too long, people wouldn’t buy as much. Fast forward to today; we’re now dealing with the environmental and societal fallout from this approach. That’s why there’s a growing shift away from the old-school ‘take-make-use-dispose’ economy to something better: a circular economy. Here the goal is to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible by reusing, recycling, and regenerating them. 

“We need to start pushing the idea of treating waste as a valuable business model at every step of the value chain. That means thinking more about the whole system. 

“At Mondi, we are working on creating solutions that are sustainable by design and keep materials in circulation. After all, it’s not about pitting plastic against paper packaging. It’s about whether packaging is sustainable or not. 

“The circular economy also needs to be understood as a business opportunity, a smarter, more sustainable way to drive growth. Building a sustainable circular economy means everyone needs to work together. 

“Manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, and policymakers all have to collaborate: it’s the new way of doing things. Only by teaming up can we come up with solutions that balance what’s good for the planet with what works for business.” 

The original article was written by Dominique Huret from Cape Decision for Packaging Europe.