Mondelez & Amcor: Cadbury’s 80% Recycled Plastic Packaging

Mondelēz International, a global leader in snack food manufacturing, has announced a significant step towards sustainable packaging for its iconic Cadbury brand. Starting in 2025, the company will begin wrapping its core sharing bars in packaging made from 80% certified recycled plastic. This initiative will cover approximately 300m sharing bars across the UK and Ireland Cadbury core tablet portfolio.

This move represents the highest percentage of recycled flexible plastic ever used within the global Cadbury brand, marking a substantial advancement in the company's sustainability efforts. The project aims to address the ongoing challenge of packaging waste in the snack and confectionery industry, where the need for portable, durable and lightweight packaging often conflicts with environmental concerns.

Mondelēz partners with Amcor and Jindal Films to boost consumer engagement in sustainability

To engage consumers in this sustainability journey, Cadbury will introduce a QR code on its packaging. This code will direct consumers to a platform where they can learn more about the brand's sustainable packaging initiatives, including a consumer-friendly explanation of the mass balance approach used in recycled plastic production. Additionally, consumers will be able to access the Recycle Now® locator from WRAP, helping them find local collection and recycling points for various packaging materials.

This innovative project is the result of collaboration between Mondelēz International, sustainable packaging leader Amcor and Jindal Films, an industry leader in recyclable films for flexible packaging. The partnership demonstrates the potential for significant progress in sustainable packaging when industry leaders work together towards common environmental goals.

“Mondelēz International’s implementation of the AmFiniti™ solution is a major step towards further advancing recycled plastic packaging across the global confectionery market. Amcor continues to work alongside our partners - such as Mondelēz - to enable brands to meet rising consumer demand for more responsible packaging, advance sustainability goals, and comply with upcoming EU regulations” explains Kyra Chavalés, Global Key Account Manager at Amcor.

Amcor's AmFiniti™ solution enables Mondelēz to use 80% recycled plastic in Cadbury packaging

Amcor has developed an innovative packaging solution called AmFiniti™, which utilises advanced recycling technology to convert post-consumer plastic waste into new food-grade packaging materials. This process allows Mondelēz International to incorporate 80% certified recycled plastic into its packaging, significantly reducing the use of virgin plastic.

The AmFiniti™ solution employs advanced recycling Material (ARM) technology, which breaks down plastic waste into its chemical components. These components are then used to create new, food-safe plastic materials. This process addresses many of the challenges associated with traditional plastic recycling methods.

By adopting this technology and adhering to the mass balance approach, Mondelēz International is able to meet the stringent ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification standards. This certification ensures that the recycled content in the packaging is traceable and verifiable.

This initiative is particularly significant given the complexities of plastic recycling. 

Despite these challenges, addressing plastic waste is crucial for the manufacturing sector due to its significant environmental impact. Mondelēz International's adoption of Amcor's AmFiniti™ solution represents an important step towards more sustainable packaging practices in the food industry.

Cadbury’s recycled plastic packaging promises industry-wide impact

"The biggest recycling challenge is plastic wrapping - collecting it at scale, sorting and recycling it into new things - ideally packaging," says Helen Bird, Head of Material System Transformation at WRAP. "Recycling this type of plastic back into food packaging can only be achieved through advanced recycling technologies. WRAP is delighted to hear that UK Plastics Pact member Mondelēz is rolling out the use of certified recycled plastic in its Cadbury sharing bars. This is the future and must be scaled far and wide across other companies and product ranges."

Cadbury, a global confectionery powerhouse, ranks second only to Mars in the industry, with operations spanning over 50 countries. Since its inception in Birmingham, England in 1824, the brand has consistently been at the forefront of manufacturing innovation in the food and confectionery sector.

The company's history is marked by several groundbreaking achievements:

• Cadbury enhanced existing cocoa recipes by utilising a novel cocoa press developed in the Netherlands, which removed undesirable cocoa butter from cocoa beans.
• In 1868, Cadbury pioneered the concept of decorated chocolate boxes, launching them as Valentine's Day gifts.
• The company produced the first contemporary chocolate Easter egg, made possible by developing a pure cocoa butter with a texture suitable for moulding into smooth shapes.
• In 2010, Mondelēz International acquired Cadbury, continuing the brand's legacy of innovation. Under this new ownership, Cadbury has not only focused on product experimentation but has also driven advancements in packaging technology, further cementing its position as an industry innovator.

“This is the latest move in our journey to increase our use of post-consumer recycled plastic across our Cadbury tablets portfolio in the UK&I,” explains Louise Stigant, SVP and UK&I Managing Director, Mondelēz International. “We remain focused on our long-term aim to offer more sustainable packaging, in particular flexible plastic packaging using advanced recycling technologies. For us this is based around a three-part approach aimed at reducing our packaging, evolving, and designing our packaging to be recyclable and improving systems by supporting the development of UK infrastructure and capabilities to collect, sort and recycle it back into food contact packaging.”

Robbie Staniforth, Director of Innovation and Policy at Ecosurety, knows this accomplishment will drive sustainable change across the industry.

“We’re pleased to see Mondelēz taking this step towards increasing their use of recycled flexible plastic packaging and help lead the way to drive change right across the industry," he says. "The public wants to see full circularity for flexible plastic packaging and with this high-profile innovation, Mondelēz demonstrates what can be achieved when a company puts its mind to it. We look forward to more brands following their lead.”

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