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Packaging manufacturer Mondi has collaborated with Swiss converter ATS-Tanner to create a paper band to hold products or bundles, reducing unnecessary plastic. ATS-Tanner uses Mondi’s kraft paper Advantage MF SpringPack and converts it into a band by adding a functional barrier on each side of the paper. The paper is sealed using ultrasound which eradicates the need for adhesive, ensuring that products are secured with minimum packaging, reducing waste and delivering cost-efficiency. ATS-Tanner markets the coated bands under the brand name TruePaper. Carsten Breiter, international key account manager of speciality kraft paper at Mondi, said: “By combining world-leading expertise in sustainable packaging with ATS-Tanner’s machinery and skills, we have together created a system that offers great product protection while reducing unnecessary plastic”. The strength of Mondi’s kraft paper means it can gold weights of up to 20kg, suiting the band for fruit and vegetable bundles as well as multipacks of bottles and other consumer goods. The paper is made from renewable, responsibly sourced and certified materials and is recyclable. Serge Tanner, owner and CEO of ATS-Tanner, commented: “We trialled various paper grades and Mondi’s kraft paper offers the required strength to substitute plastic packaging with this paper band. TruePaper is a resource efficient solution that can – depending on the banding machine used – wrap products measuring up to 1300 x 500 mm and is convenient to store.” He continued: “Using paper instead of plastic is not the only advantage: an ultrasonic banding machine from ATS-Tanner consumes 98% less energy than it would take to pack a like-sized delivery using a shrink wrapping machine”. The new paper band is the latest innovation by Mondi, following the company's collaboration with Fresh!Packing in December, to create a recyclable cooler bag. In September Mondi launched Hug&Hold, a recyclable, paper-based sustainable drinks packaging.