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.

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.