Mondi Protects Bicycles

Paper and packaging company Mondi has entered the market for bicycle packaging. Mondi is providing a new sustainable solution for bicycle manufacturer Diamant to replace the plastic packaging used around the handlebars of its Trek and Diamant brands.

Germany’s oldest bicycle manufacturer will now use Mondi’s recyclable Protector Bags, which are made from renewable materials. As a result of this change, Diamant will reduce its plastic consumption by 16 tons annually – about 85 percent compared to before – while also saving on logistics and transportation costs, Mondi says.

The pre-made paper bags do not require additional wrapping or gluing, as they are ready to use with a custom closure strip developed specifically for the bicycle industry. Made from two layers of paper, Mondi’s Protector Bags are strong and flexible, making them extremely puncture resistant. They also protect bikes during storage and transport with a softer, friction-resistant interior glaze, the company says. The air permeability of paper also makes the bags breathable. In addition, handlebar grips made of rubber can release moisture or gases that can easily evaporate with this new packaging.

Lower transport costs

Storage and transportation costs have been significantly reduced: Protector Bags are supplied flat, which means more can be transported on each pallet, allowing for more cost-effective stacking compared to plastic bubble wrap rolls that carry excess air. In addition, Mondi produces the paper bags at its Trebsen plant in Germany, which is only an hour away from Diamant’s factory, compared to the previous bubble wrap alternative, which was sourced from out of country.

Geoffrey Ziegahn, senior engineer at Diamant, says, “Our development team worked very closely with Mondi to create these uniquely tailored bags that better protect the handlebars of all of our Trek and Diamant brand mountain and trekking bikes during transport. This is a significant step toward our sustainability goals: we want to use only recyclable packaging by the end of the year and replace all plastic and bubble wrap with paper-based solutions.”

Nadja Nickel, Sales Manager Protector Bags at Mondi, adds, “This is a fantastic example of how our EcoSolutions approach can work for customers in a wide range of industries, and we are excited to make our first foray into the world of bicycle packaging with Protector Bags.” Although the previous plastic bubble wrap protected the product, Diamant was looking for paper packaging, Nickel explains. “By going to the factory floor and evaluating all areas of manufacturing, storage, and transportation, we were able to develop a customized version of our existing Protector Bags.”