Mondi

How ethical is Mondi?

Mondi is a packaging and paper manufacturer which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. Mondi’s below-benchmark performance is driven by two distinct concerns: a poor rating for fossil fuels and an acceptable rather than good rating for public record criticisms.

What does Mondi do?

Mondi plc is a FTSE 100 company with a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange, headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company operates across more than 30 countries and manufactures corrugated packaging, flexible packaging, and uncoated fine paper, serving customers across consumer and retail, building and construction, industrial, and agricultural sectors. Mondi generated revenues of approximately €7.7 billion in 2021 and positions itself as a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper solutions.

Why does Mondi fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

Mondi’s below-benchmark performance is driven by two key concerns. Most critically, the company receives a poor rating for fossil fuels. For a global packaging and paper manufacturer that describes sustainability as central to its strategy and publishes detailed sustainability reporting, a poor fossil fuels rating indicates that Mondi’s energy transition commitments have not translated into the measurable reduction in fossil fuel dependency required to meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s standard. Strengthening renewable energy adoption and accelerating decarbonisation across its manufacturing operations would be essential to addressing this gap.

Mondi also receives an acceptable rather than good rating for public record criticisms. This reflects the company’s conduct following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Mondi faced significant public criticism and calls for boycott for continuing to operate a major pulp and paper mill in Syktyvkar, Russia, which represented approximately 12% of the group’s revenue and around 20% of its EBITDA. Mondi was included on the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention’s list of international war sponsors before being removed following the eventual divestment of its Russian assets. The company has since completed its exit from Russia, but the reputational and ethical concerns arising from the length of time it took to do so are reflected in the acceptable rating.

Mondi also receives a poor rating for vegan options, indicating limited focus on plant-based or vegan-certified packaging solutions. As consumer demand for sustainable and plant-based alternatives grows across the sectors Mondi serves, this represents a further area requiring attention.

It is worth acknowledging that Mondi achieves good ratings across several criteria, including environmental report, pollution, eco certifications, animal welfare, armaments, responsible marketing, and political donations. These reflect strengths in environmental transparency and corporate conduct across most areas. However, the fossil fuels poor rating and the public record criticisms arising from its Russia operations are ethical concerns that The GOOD Shopping Guide cannot overlook.

Consumers seeking packaging solutions that meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table and our guide to ethical packaging, and prioritise brands that hold Ethical Accreditation. Several higher-ranking alternatives in this sector have achieved independent ethical verification and represent stronger choices for ethically conscious consumers. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.