Rethinking detergent packaging: EcoBox. Packaging Market Insights Detergent packaging has traditionally depended on complex, multi-material designs. Plastic handles, metal rivets and separate dosing cups provide functionality, but they can also make packs more difficult to recycle and increasingly costly under evolving Extended Producer Responsibility requirements. At MM Packaging, MM Group believe performance and recyclability should not be competing priorities. This thinking led MM Group to develop EcoBox, a high-performance, recyclable fibre-based solution designed specifically for powder detergent products. A fibre-based alternative built for performance. EcoBox is made from 95.4% fibre-based materials, replacing many of the components typically found in conventional detergent packs. Its integrated fibre-based handle can safely carry loads of up to 7 kg, providing the strength required for heavier detergent products without the need for a separate plastic handle or metal rivets. The dosing solution has also been reimagined. Instead of adding a separate plastic measuring cup, the spoon is incorporated directly into the front of the carton. Consumers can simply detach the pre-cut section and mould it into a functional dosing spoon. This creates a convenient dispensing solution while eliminating another component that may be difficult to recover through conventional recycling systems. Designed around the consumer. For packaging to offer a credible alternative, sustainability cannot come at the expense of convenience. EcoBox features a hinged opening that gives consumers easy access to the detergent inside. A small plastic tear strip provides a built-in reclose function, helping to keep the product protected between uses. Together, the integrated handle, detachable dosing spoon and accessible opening create an intuitive pack that is practical to carry, use and recycle. Responding to changing consumer expectations. Packaging is increasingly influencing how consumers perceive and choose brands. According to Pro Carton's 2026 European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Survey, 64% of more than 5,000 consumers surveyed identified ease of recycling as their most important packaging requirement. The research also found that 84% prefer cartonboard and cardboard packaging to plastic, while 66% say sustainable packaging increases their trust in a brand. For detergent brands, this represents an important opportunity. Packaging that combines recognisable functionality with improved recyclability can help brands respond to changing expectations without asking consumers to compromise on performance For decades, detergent packaging has relied on complex multi-material structures. Consumer expectations have changed. Today, brands need packaging that combines performance, convenience and recyclability without increasing cost. Joaquin Alcarazo · Managing Director, MM Packaging Iberica Designing out difficult-to-recycle components. Simply reducing plastic is not always enough. Small items such as caps, lids and closure mechanisms may not be captured effectively by Material Recovery Facilities. Plastic handles and metal rivets can also be difficult for sorting systems to separate from the carton. EcoBox addresses these challenges at the design stage. By removing the conventional plastic handle, metal rivets and separate dosing cup, the solution simplifies the packaging structure and increases its overall fibre content. This approach helps create a pack that is better aligned with the direction of European packaging regulation and the growing focus on recyclability, material efficiency and recycled content. Ready for the changing regulatory landscape. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is introducing more demanding requirements for packaging in the European market, including minimum recycled-content targets for plastic packaging from 1 January 2030. National legislation is also accelerating the transition towards packaging formats with higher recyclable fibre content. In Spain, for example, a conventional detergent carton containing metal rivets, a plastic handle and a dosing cup can reach approximately 79.8% fibre content. While this sits above the current minimum carton threshold of 75%, it would fall below the expected 90% threshold by 2030. With 95.4% fibre-based content, EcoBox has been designed to go beyond these targets. Its simplified material composition can also result in significantly lower EPR costs compared with a traditional detergent box. A scalable solution for detergent brands. Innovation must be commercially practical if it is to create meaningful change. EcoBox can be produced on existing packaging lines with minimal upfront investment, helping brands transition towards more recyclable detergent packaging without requiring a complete transformation of their production infrastructure. For MM Packaging, this scalability is central to the solution. EcoBox is not simply a concept or a future-facing prototype. It is designed to give detergent brands a realistic path towards packaging that meets consumer, regulatory and commercial expectations. EcoBox is designed for brands that want to make a real difference in the packaging industry. Consumers want packaging that is easy to recycle and convenient to use, without an increase in cost. EcoBox makes the transition to recyclable powder detergent packaging simple, scalable and commercially viable. Joaquin Alcarazo · Managing Director, MM Packaging Iberica Packaging progress into every box. EcoBox demonstrates what is possible when the entire packaging format is reconsidered, rather than individual components being replaced in isolation. By bringing together a strong integrated handle, a fibre-based dosing spoon, a convenient reclose function and more than 95% fibre-based content, MM Packaging has created a solution that supports recyclability while maintaining the performance consumers and brands expect.

Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG: MM Group receives EcoVadis Platinum Medal and thus ranks among the top 1% worldwide in the area of sustainability. Summarized for you Last change 31.08.2026, 16:09

MM Group receives EcoVadis Platinum rating. 2026-08-31 MM Group has been awarded an EcoVadis Platinum medal, placing it in the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide. The company scored 91 out of 100 across environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. MM Group has been awarded a Platinum medal by sustainability rating business EcoVadis, a recognition earned by only the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide. For the brands and converters supported by MM Group, the result provides additional confirmation that the sustainability data behind the business is credible, current and verified. Platinum places MM Group in the 99th percentile of more than 150,000 companies rated by EcoVadis over the past year. The Group achieved an overall score of 91 out of 100, with strong results across all four assessed areas: Environment, 90; Labour and Human Rights, 95; Ethics, 87; and Sustainable Procurement, 88. The rating also marks a progression for MM Group, from Silver in 2024 to Gold in 2025, and now Platinum in 2026. Independent assessment for packaging value chains. As regulations such as the PPWR and EUDR reshape packaging design, and as brands work to reduce Scope 3 supply chain emissions, independent assessments are becoming part of partner selection and value-chain reporting. According to MM Group, transparency is one of the ways the Group reduces risk for its customers. Katja Tuomola, Head of Sustainability and Marketing Communications at MM Group, said: "Reaching EcoVadis Platinum is a milestone we proudly share with our customers, our employees and all interested stakeholders. It confirms that responsible practice is embedded in how we operate and gives the customers we work with an independent assessment they can build on. We are proud of the progress made so far, but the challenge lies in continually building on that, so we remain focused on what comes next." Further sustainability benchmarks. The Platinum rating sits alongside MM Group's CDP Triple A rating for Climate, Forests and Water Security, and its SBTi-validated climate targets. Together, these reflect measurable progress across the company's operations, from decarbonisation and responsible sourcing to designing packaging for circularity. The accreditations indicate an approach in which sustainability is treated as part of the business, not as a separate activity. Bernhard Heneis, Head of Group Sustainability at MM Group, added: "An independent assessment like this gives us a benchmark for our performance, recognise what our teams have achieved, and plan our next steps toward greater impact. That same transparency is what makes us a partner for our customers navigating their own sustainability journeys." Read more: