Les Crudettes salads stay fresh in Mondi’s recyclable functional barrier paper

Packaging and paper supplier Mondi has introduced its first recyclable functional barrier paper bag for salads in the Group LSDH’s Les Crudettes range. 

The sustainable packaging is a fully integrated solution – Mondi operates across the value chain from sustainably managed forests, to producing pulp and kraft paper, applying the coating and printing the final material, according to a news release.

The French salad brand, the release said, replaced its transparent glossy polypropylene (PP) packaging with Mondi’s recyclable functional barrier paper for a selection of its pre-washed, ready-to-eat salads. 

The new packaging is 95% paper with a functional barrier layer. That means the salad remains fresh for up to 10 days — the same amount of time as with the previous plastic packaging, according to the release. The package is verified as recyclable in the wastepaper stream in France by the Recycling Authority.

The bags are flexoprinted, according to the release, with lifelike depictions of the salad contents on the front, along with a QR code, which informs consumers about the contents, quality, recycling and even refund policy, if they happen to purchase a bag where the contents are not as fresh as expected.

Using its EcoSolutions approach, Mondi worked closely with LSDH, and its machine supplier Ilapak, to ensure that the new packaging can run on existing machines, according to the release. The new solution is sustainable by design and will support LSDH Group in meeting its sustainability goal of reducing the amount of plastic in its packaging.

“We evaluated everything, from sourcing, to machinery, and the recycling process – all while collaborating closely with LSDH to deliver a sustainable solution without compromising on packaging performance,” Paulus Goess, sales director specialty Kraft Paper, said in the release.

“This is just the first step in the sustainability journey of our ready-to-eat salad range,” Géraldine Collet, marketing and innovation director for Les Crudettes/Groupe LSDH, said in the release. “The results are exciting — the packaging is created on existing machines, it looks great on-shelf, is resistant to humidity and supports our sustainability goals. These salad bags could revolutionize the ready-to-eat salad market, hugely reducing the amount of plastic needed, all while keeping the food fresh.” The newly packaged salads are on sale throughout France now, according to the release.