Mondi has announced a significant achievement in sustainable paper production, securing Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze status for its uncoated fine paper portfolio from the Merebank mill in South Africa. This makes Mondi the first and only company in South Africa to receive this globally recognized certification for paper products, underscoring its commitment to circular product design and responsible manufacturing.
The certified range includes Mondi’s well-known Rotatrim brand, its flagship multifunctional office paper, which has recently been relaunched with new localized packaging and improved performance attributes. Other certified products are uncoated woodfree reels, such as Envapost, Constat, and Script, which cater to various commercial and government printing needs.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is one of the most advanced sustainability programs globally. It evaluates products based on five key criteria: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air and Climate Protection, Water and Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness. Products meeting these criteria are designed with a circular economy in mind, focusing on reducing environmental impact.
Donovan Naidoo, Operations Director at Mondi Merebank, commented, “This important sustainability milestone reflects our ongoing efforts to deliver circular-driven solutions and contributes to the group’s Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) sustainability commitments. It also reinforces the trust our customers place in Mondi to reliably meet their evolving sustainability requirements.”
This certification follows similar successes at Mondi’s Slovakian and Austrian mills, reinforcing the company’s global approach to sustainable innovation. Industry peers like UPM Communication Papers and Sappi Europe have also achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze status, signaling a growing trend toward aligning with circular economy principles.