IN Brief:
- RDM launched Vincicoat PLUS (V+) as a coated recycled cartonboard.
- The company claims 15–20% higher strength versus its standard WLC.
- RDM says converters can reduce packaging weight by up to 20%.
RDM Group has launched Vincicoat PLUS (V+), a coated recycled cartonboard positioned to support packaging weight reduction without sacrificing box performance. The company said the grade is designed to narrow the performance gap between recycled cartonboard and virgin alternatives, while maintaining a minimum recycled fibre content of 85%.
RDM said Vincicoat PLUS delivers up to 15–20% higher strength than the company’s standard white lined chipboard (WLC). The company also described V+ as the strongest GD board (WLC) it has offered to date, citing “superior square stiffness” and performance under bending stress in both machine and cross directions. In practical terms, the company said this supports more robust creasing and folding during sheet conversion and results in packaging structures with higher compression resistance and improved top- and side-load values.
For chilled, frozen, and high-humidity use cases, RDM said Vincicoat PLUS is available as a hard-sized option with low water absorbency. The company said this variant is intended for environments where moisture exposure is a key variable in maintaining pack strength through filling, distribution, and storage.
RDM’s primary performance claim is tied to down-gauging. The company said the enhanced structural properties allow converters and brand owners either to reduce final packaging weight by up to 20%, or to keep existing grammages while increasing pack strength and protection. The positioning aligns with broader “reduce” initiatives in fibre-based packaging, where weight reduction is being used alongside recyclability claims to cut total material usage.
RDM said the product has been validated through external laboratory testing, including box compression and top-load strength testing, and through high-speed conversion trials with converter partners. The company also said pressure testing was completed on the hard-sized board using Cobb 180 seconds, combined with freezing and elevated-humidity conditions. RDM said the board runs across printing, cutting, and box-forming processes, and flagged applications including large-format boxes requiring structural integrity, high-speed food and pharmaceutical packing lines, and frozen and chilled food packaging.
Vincicoat PLUS is engineered and produced at RDM’s Santa Giustina mill in Italy. RDM linked the launch to its wider manufacturing platform following integration of the Fiskeby mill in Sweden, which it described as long recognised for high-strength recycled cartonboard, and said the business has replicated and scaled that performance across its European network.
Krzysztof Krajewski, RDM Group chief sustainability and innovation officer, said: “When performance is no longer the trade-off, recycled cartonboard becomes the obvious choice.”
