Mondelēz International has announced it has achieved its virgin plastic reduction goal in Europe.
The snacking firm has achieved a 5% reduction in recycled content in its packaging, and the completion of the transition from rigid plastic trays to trays containing around 80% recycled plastic across several flagship brands.
This has enabled an annual reduction of more than 1,000 tonnes of virgin plastic across Europe, the company said.
Sustainable packaging journey
“We are proud of these milestones, as we continue accelerating our sustainable packaging journey across Europe,” commented Catherine Burgeat, sustainability senior director Europe, at Mondelēz International.
“Replacing PET plastic trays with rPET is a major step towards reducing our virgin plastic usage and contributing to a more circular packaging economy.”
The company said that this achievement reflects its ambition to scale recyclable materials and pilot innovative circularity solutions across European markets such as the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Mechanical and chemical recycling
It added that it is accelerating its investment in diverse recycling technologies and circularity initiatives across Europe as it seeks to meet its broader packaging sustainability goals.
This includes mechanical recycling, with rPET incorporated into trays for boxed chocolates and biscuit brands, and chemical recycling, which breaks plastic down to molecular building blocks. Packaging for its Cadbury Dairy Milk brand in the UK and Kvikk Lunsj in the Nordics are already incorporating chemically recycled content.
“Innovation in both mechanical and chemical recycling technologies is essential to increasing the availability of food-contact recycled plastic” added Richard Akkermans, packaging sustainability manager Europe. “By working closely with suppliers and value-chain partners, we are turning sustainability ambition into practical action.”
In addition to reducing virgin plastic use, Mondelēz is piloting circularity initiatives across Europe, including Germany, Belgium, the Nordics, and the UK.
‘Mondelēz International’s progress contributes to the broader transition towards more circular packaging systems in Europe and supports alignment with evolving European expectations on recyclability and recycled content,’ the company noted. Read more here.
