In a partnership spanning decades, more than one-billion cement bags have been made from packaging and paper group Mondi’s sack kraft paper by South African packaging and bags producer Constantia Afripack.

Mondi Sack Kraft Paper, Constantia Afripack’s principal supplier, supplies strong, quality sack kraft paper grades for the production of cement bags suitable for rough handling and fast, dust-free filling that has enable material and cost savings.

Constantia Afripack chairperson Arnold Vermaak said that with the four mills, seven paper machines producing a full range of high-quality sack kraft paper and a well-established international logistics chain, the partnership ensures security of supply with value-added benefits.

“Partnering with Mondi in the sack kraft paper business proved to be the cornerstone of further innovation within our own company. The paper grades’ performance and quality are great, which has enabled us to further raise the speed and consistency of production,” he said in a statement.

The partnership saw the evolution of the production of cement bags in 2011, when the duo migrated from three-ply to two-ply Advantage Select porous cement bag production, triggering additional material and cost economies, without compromising quality or strength.

The move to Advantage Select sack kraft paper allowed Constantia Afripack to use only two plies and dispense with perforation, which significantly reduced paper consumption and dust.

“The bag is lighter and easier to produce, yet the paper and bag are stronger than the previous three-ply construction,” Vermaak said.

With Mondi’s assistance, Constantia Afripack also saw improvement within its own supply chain management system, which coordinates administrative functions more efficiently, and facilitates the fast and flexible exchange of data and planning information between the companies.