Cartro has worked with Mondi for the development of a new corrugated box for the fresh produce market

catro-box

Mondi and Cartro have developed a new corrugated box for the fresh produce market. (Credit:Mondi)

Sustainable paper and packaging solutions provider Mondi has collaborated with Mexican corrugated packaging company Cartro to offer new sustainable packaging solution for fresh produce applications.

To enter the fresh produce market, Cartro has worked with Mondi for the development of a new corrugated box product that can address all the challenges of transportation.

As per the 2019 State of Food and Agriculture Report published by the FAO, around 14% of the world’s food is lost between harvest and the point of sale.

The new corrugated packaging is based on FirstClassFlutes by Mondi

The new product has been developed using FirstClassFlutes by Mondi, which is the company’s portfolio of paper grades. It also includes ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua.

The grades deliver high edge crush test (ECT) and box compression test (BCT) values, offering better strength in humid conditions and helping to reduce 18% weight.

The new box also enables Cartro to reduce costs and run higher corrugator speeds, as they are not required to be coated with paraffin.

The design of a sustainable and humidity-resistant box will help address the complications of long-distance food transport and minimises food waste.

Cartro CEO Juan Javier Gonzalez said: “Our company is the biggest independent corrugator in Mexico and known for reliability and quality. Thus, when we decided to enter a new market, we needed to be able to stick to our guiding principle of ‘Quality on time.

“We wanted the new packaging to be a quality reference point, so we joined forces with Mondi to develop a lightweight corrugated box that can withstand the challenges of long haul transport in humid environments.”

In September 2019, Mondi announced that it is using Borealis BC918CF, a BNT-modified copolymer, to produce new monomaterial packaging solutions for meat and dairy products.