RDM Group has introduced Vincicoat PLUS (V+), a next-generation coated recycled cartonboard engineered to deliver higher strength while enabling measurable reductions in packaging weight.
The launch reflects a strategic shift within the group towards material reduction alongside recyclability, as brand owners and retailers intensify efforts to cut resource use without compromising pack performance.
Closing The Strength Gap
Recycled cartonboard has traditionally been perceived as weaker than virgin fibre alternatives. According to RDM Group, Vincicoat PLUS has been developed to reduce this gap, offering up to 15–20% higher strength compared with the company’s standard white-lined chipboard (WLC), while maintaining a minimum of 85% recycled fibre content.
The company states that the board delivers superior square stiffness — resistance to bending stress in both machine and cross directions — and is the strongest GD board (WLC) in its portfolio. This enhanced stiffness is designed to improve creasing and folding performance during sheet conversion and to support packaging structures capable of withstanding higher compression forces, translating into improved top- and side-load values in the finished box.
For frozen and humid applications, the board is also available in a hard-sized version with low water absorbency performance.
Enabling Weight Reduction
Reduction has become a key priority in sustainability strategies across the packaging value chain. While RDM Group has historically focused on recyclable, circular cartonboard solutions, Vincicoat PLUS is positioned as an evolution towards combining “reduce” with “recycle”.
The company says the improved structural performance allows converters and brand owners either to reduce final packaging weight by up to 20% or to maintain existing grammages while increasing pack strength and product protection. In practical terms, this could translate into lower material consumption, reduced demand for fibre resources and improved cost efficiency across supply chains.
Validated For Demanding Applications
RDM Group reports that Vincicoat PLUS has undergone external laboratory validation, including box compression and top-load testing, as well as high-speed conversion trials with converter partners. Pressure testing of the hard-sized board variant (Cobb 180 seconds) was carried out under freezing and elevated humidity conditions.
The board is designed to run efficiently across printing, cutting and box-forming processes. Target applications include large-format boxes requiring high structural integrity, high-speed food and pharmaceutical packing lines, frozen and chilled food packaging, and packs for heavier products such as cosmetics, soaps and detergents.
Multi-Mill Platform
The launch is underpinned by RDM Group’s expanded European manufacturing footprint. Following the integration of the Swedish Fiskeby mill — recognised for producing high-strength recycled cartonboard — the company says it has replicated and scaled this performance across its mill network.
Vincicoat PLUS is engineered and produced at the group’s Santa Giustina mill in Italy, with supply intended to support customers across Europe.
Krzysztof Krajewski, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer at RDM Group, said: “When performance is no longer the trade-off, recycled cartonboard becomes the obvious choice.
“With Vincicoat PLUS, brand owners can achieve the strength, durability, and reliability they need in their packaging to protect precious products, while also reducing material use and maximize recycled fibre content. Stronger boxes, lighter packs, and a circular solution all come together, giving brands the confidence to deliver exceptional solutions to consumers while supporting global environmental goals.”
