Mondi has teamed up with German bike manufacturer Diamant to wrap and protect its branded mountain and trekking bikes
Diamant is replacing its plastic bubble wrap around bike handlebars with Mondi’s pre-made paper Protector Bags
The new system will protect bikes during transportation and reduce Diamant’s plastic packaging by around 85% per year
Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has entered the bike packaging market with its Protector Bags, providing a new sustainable solution for Diamant to replace plastic wrapping used around the handlebars of its Trek and Diamant brands.
Germany’s oldest bike manufacturer will now use Mondi’s recyclable Protector Bags that are made from renewable materials. The change means that Diamant will reduce its plastic use by 16 tonnes every year – around 85% of its previous consumption – as well as saving costs in logistics and transportation.
The pre-made paper bags do not require additional wrapping or taping, as they are ready to use with a tailored closure strip developed specifically for the bicycle industry. Created from two plies of paper, Mondi’s Protector Bags are strong and flexible, making them highly puncture-proof – and they protect the bikes during storage and transport with a softer interior glaze that is friction-resistant. Due to the air permeability of paper, the bags are also breathable. Additionally, handlebar grips made of rubber can emit moisture or gas that can evaporate easily with this new packaging.
Storage and transportation costs have been significantly reduced: the Protector Bags are delivered flat, meaning more can be carried on a pallet, providing a more cost-efficient stacking compared to plastic bubble wrap reels that transport excess air. In addition, Mondi produces the paper bags at its Trebsen plant in Germany, which is only an hour from Diamant’s factory, compared to the previous bubble wrap alternative, which was sourced abroad.
Geoffrey Ziegahn, Senior Engineer, Diamant, says: “Our development team worked very closely with Mondi to create these uniquely tailored bags, which will provide increased protection for the handlebars of all mountain and trekking bikes of our brands Trek and Diamant during transportation. This is a major step towards our sustainability goals: we aim to only use recyclable packaging by the end of this year and replace all plastic and bubble wrap with paper-based solutions. Mondi’s careful and thorough approach to the challenge has demonstrated how we can achieve this – we are saving transportation costs, storage space and are contributing to a better world by making this big change.”
This is a fantastic example of how our EcoSolutions approach can work for customers in a wide range of industries, and we are delighted to make our first foray into bike packaging with our Protector Bags. Diamant’s bikes need to be protected from scratches during transport. While the previous plastic bubble wrap protected the product, Diamant was looking for packaging made from paper. By going onto the factory floor and assessing all areas of manufacturing, storage and transportation, we were able to develop a bespoke version of our existing Protector Bags, which are easily sealed on site, provide all the protection needed, save the customer money and help them achieve their sustainability goals.
Nadja Nickel, Sales Manager Protector Bags, Mondi
Mondi’s Protector Bags are made from renewable resources, responsibly sourced and are created from two layers of durable kraft paper. They are flexible, cost-efficient and completely recyclable, and can be disposed of safely in existing waste streams throughout Europe.
About Mondi
Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by making innovative packaging and paper solutions that are sustainable by design. Our business is integrated across the value chain – from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and plastic films, to developing and manufacturing effective industrial and consumer packaging solutions. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy and intrinsic in the way we do business. We lead the industry with our customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions, where we ask the right questions to find the most sustainable solution. In 2021, Mondi had revenues of €7.7 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.5 billion.
Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP). Mondi is a FTSE 100 constituent, and has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2008 and the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index Series since 2007.
