Riseria Vignola introduces new 100% recyclable rice bag

Mondi Group and Fiorini International have developed Italy’s first 100% recyclable paper rice bag for Italian rice producer Riseria Vignola Giovanni.

The new packaging will help the Alessandria-based rice producer achieve its sustainability goals of reducing plastic packaging while maintaining all the technical requirements regarding product preservation and shelf-life. Vignola showed a clear commitment to the use of more environmentally sustainable packaging with their purchase of a new form-fill-seal machine suitable for paper-based bags.

Mondi, a world leader in the paper and packaging sector, had previously collaborated with Fiorini International, a company that specialises in the processing of paper for the production of shopping bags, to develop a fully recyclable stand-up bag for pasta for the Italian market.

The new bag is made of Mondi Advantage Smooth White Strong 100 gsm, a specialty craft paper with the right combination of high strength, superior printability and guaranteed runnability on filling machines.

“Our fifth-generation family company has long been an innovator in Italy,” says Giovanni Vignola, CEO of Riseria Vignola. “In 1971, we were one of the first to pack rice in cardboard boxes, and in the 1980s we were among the first to adopt the vacuum packaging system. Now we are pleased to be leading the market once again with this fully recyclable paper rice bag for our 500 g and one kilo packages, giving consumers the sustainable, recyclable packaging they increasingly prefer.”

Vignola is renowned for its quality all over the world. With a production volume of 50 million kilos of rice per year, it has a track record of leading the way in innovative packaging. The factory also has a photovoltaic system for the production of clean energy to be used in the production cycle