Mondi funds sustainability initiative

Global paper and board producer Mondi, which has headquarters offices in Johannesburg, South Africa, and London, says it has committed $50,000 to fund a project stemming from the Lead2030 initiative. That competition is organized by the not-for-profit group One Young World and is designed “to find youth-led practical solutions to drive progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

The project to be funded by Mondi “will make a tangible contribution to SDG12, which is tied to the ’Responsible Consumption and Production’ of materials,” according to Mondi.

Online applications for such projects are open now, with the manufacturer calling for 18-to-30-year-olds from around the world to apply for a chance to receive both funds and business mentoring from senior staff at Mondi. “With Mondi’s help, the winning candidate will have the opportunity to turn [his or her] concept into a viable solution for tackling waste in manufacturing, which will have a positive impact on achieving SDG12,” states Mondi.

“We are all well aware of the challenge facing our oceans as a result of poor waste management, but in many parts of the world there is an even greater challenge hidden beneath our feet in landfills,” states Peter Oswald, CEO of Mondi. “Mondi has a goal of zero waste to landfill and has made good progress in the last few years, reusing or recycling 76 percent of current waste. However, we still send 17 percent of waste to landfill, so we’re looking for bright young minds to help us, and business in general, to identify smart ways to reach a goal of zero waste to landfill.”

Adds Oswald, “We believe that collaboration is key in achieving the SDGs, so we’re proud to be partnering with One Young World on the Lead2030 initiative. We’re looking forward to seeing the ideas of the talented young applicants and wish them the best of luck in their applications.”

Comments Kate Robertson, co-founder of One Young World, “The global goals will not be achieved without ambitious and meaningful contributions from leaders across every sector of society. With 380 million jobs predicted to be created by achieving the SDGs, and $12 trillion unlocked in market opportunities, the business case for accelerating progress on the Global Goals is clear. The world-leading organizations that have committed to join Lead2030 are not just doing the right thing, they’re doing the smart thing for their business.”

Through the Lead2030 Challenge, Mondi says it hopes to raise awareness on “responsible consumption and production” and to drive even greater innovation across both its own business and the industry more broadly.

Winners and representatives will attend the One Young World summit in 2019 taking place in London. Applications for Lead2030 close on Jan. 5, 2019, and the winner will be announced on April 17, 2019. 

Mondi describes itself as a packaging and paper producer that manages forests and produces pulp, paper, plastic films and industrial and consumer packaging solutions. In 2017, Mondi had revenue of €7.1 billion ($7.9 billion). The company estimates it consumed 1.3 million metric tons of recovered fiber at its paper and board mills in 2017.