Packaging

Mondi opens ISTA performance lab for safer packaging in transit

Wednesday 08. December 2021 - Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has opened a new ISTA-certified laboratory at Mondi Bupak in eské Budjovice (CZ), which is one of its Central European corrugated solutions flagship plants and a hub for development and production of eCommerce packaging.

The laboratory offers various transport performance tests, including ISTA 6 certification testing for packaging. In addition, Mondi’s laboratory is an approved member of the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS) and hence a partner of choice for testing Amazon’s Tier 1-3 compliant packaging (FFP, SIOC and PFP) , which is a market standard of the online retailer for reducing packaging volume in eCommerce logistics.
Carriers, online retailers and marketplaces, such as Amazon or FedEx, increasingly require that packaging be proven for compliance with ISTA standards using such performance tests. As a result, there is growing demand from a wide variety of FMCG, consumer durables and industrial companies for proof that their packaging meets these requirements.
The new laboratory features the latest testing equipment that allows full simulation of the typical impacts – such as compression, drop, vibration and clamp – that a packed product could encounter in standard retail, global logistics or eCommerce supply chains.
“Thorough and ISTA-standard testing eliminates the risk of product breakage and claims, and thus reduces costs and reputational damage for our customers. Performance tests also help us assess how existing packaging can be improved and processes sped up. Offering this service at our lab is another way we help our customers adapt to changing market requirements and remain agile, competitive and sustainable,” says Tarik Aniba, Sales & Marketing Director at Mondi Corrugated Solutions.
Working together with its customers, Mondi develops packaging solutions that are sustainable by design. Customers are able to minimise the overall use of materials, the need for filling materials, and transport volume through sized-to-fit, ready-to-ship and lightweight solutions. They gain a competitive advantage and reduce their overall CO2 footprint, as well as benefit from the certainty of packaging that meets their business partners’ and carriers’ requirements.