VIENNA (News release) -- Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, and Taurus Packaging have developed a fit-for-purpose reusable shopping bag that can carry groceries and meet the needs of the demanding Southern African retail marketplace. Mondi's Advantage Kraft Plus with wet strength makes this paper bag a great alternative in a market where plastic bags have traditionally been used.

Mondi's kraft paper for shopping bags is strong enough for South Africa's demanding weather conditions, including humidity. Its wet strength meets the 16kg standard requirement of the South African market and resists tearing even when cold products and liquids condense quickly. It also withstands longer customer journeys on public transport.

Collaborating with Taurus Packaging, two million paper shopping bags will be produced per month using Mondi's paper, providing a recyclable, renewable, and PEFC certified, sustainably sourced alternative to plastic.

This new solution has found a home with two customers, SPAR South Africa and Food Lover's Market, both national chains committed to finding more sustainable solutions for their customers. Food Lover's Market have banned plastic bags from their stores, and the new paper shopping bags have already been well received by customers as a more sustainable alternative.

"These paper bags are a part of our commitment to embrace our responsibility to the environment and climate change. As such, it was a natural step to replace plastic with paper bags. The response from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive as the paper bag itself is very strong and on average can be used seven times and carrying a weight of about 10kg," says Angela van der Merwe, Packaging Coordinator at the Food Lover's Market Group.

"These robust shopping bags make it possible for us to provide a sustainable yet practical alternative for our customers. Where paper bags used to tear easily, this paper repels water so makes it possible for us to provide a practical, reusable and recyclable alternative that reduces the use of plastic bags," says Devin Galtrey, Spar South Africa.

"At Mondi, we are committed to finding fit-for-purpose solutions that make 'using paper where possible and plastic when useful' a reality. Applying our customer-centric EcoSolutions approach, we were able to support Taurus in their search for a sustainable paper bag alternative. With our kraft paper expertise, we have made it possible to still use and reuse these paper bags under demanding handling conditions," says Conny Josefsson, Sales Director Sack Kraft Paper, Mondi.

Mondi's Advantage Kraft Plus with wet strength and other water-repellent paper grades are available globally with a focus on markets where humidity and rain can limit paper packaging options, such as shopping bags or cement sacks.

Interested to learn more about our partnership with Taurus Packaging? Read our interview with Johann Botha, commercial manager of leading SA sack and bag manufacturers Taurus Packaging here.