How Mondelēz is Driving Plastic Packaging Circularity

Mondelēz International, the company responsible for sourcing and manufacturing popular confectionery and snacking brands such as Cadbury, Oreo and Toblerone, has announced significant milestones in its sustainability journey.

The company’s Europe division has achieved a global corporate goal of integrating 5% recycled content into its product packaging.

This procurement strategy has enabled an annual reduction of around 1,000 tonnes of virgin plastic across the European market, primarily by shifting towards the sourcing of more recycled plastic materials.

The multinational has completed a transition from sourcing rigid plastic trays to procuring alternatives that contain approximately 80% recycled plastic across several of its European flagship brands.

This achievement, alongside meeting its sustainable packaging goals, reflects the company’s commitment to scaling recyclable materials and piloting innovative circularity solutions within its supply chain.

It aims to deploy these packaging improvements at scale across major European markets, specifically the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

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Sourcing recycled packaging materials

To further reduce reliance on virgin plastic, Mondelēz is investing in diverse recycling technologies and circularity initiatives across the region.

Catherine Burgeat, Sustainability Senior Director of Europe at Mondelēz International, says: “We are proud of these milestones, as we continue accelerating our sustainable packaging journey across Europe.

“Replacing PET plastic trays with rPET is a major step towards reducing our virgin plastic usage and contributing to a more circular packaging economy.”

Throughout Europe, the procurement and sustainability teams at Mondelēz International are working on advancing complementary recycling technologies to secure sustainable supply.

One specific method being utilised is mechanical recycling, a process which involves collecting, cleaning and reprocessing used plastics into new packaging materials ready for sourcing.

The company is using this method to incorporate recycled PET (rPET) into its trays for boxed chocolate brands – Milka, Marabou, Mirabelle and Suchard pralines – and its biscuit products – Milka Choco Wafer, Chips Ahoy and Oreo.

Milka Pralines serve as the company’s top example of this sourcing shift, with its trays now incorporating around 80% rPET and eliminating colour to further enhance recyclability.

This material change will soon be rolled out across the company’s other brands, helping to meet broader sustainability goals.

Innovation in sourcing technologies

The second technology pivotal to this strategy is chemical recycling. This involves breaking down plastic into molecular building blocks which enables its reuse in food-contact packaging.

Mondelēz International has been one of the early adopters of chemically recycled materials in Europe.

In the UK, the procurement of packaging for Cadbury Dairy Milk introduced approximately 30% chemically recycled content in 2022, followed by products in Nordic countries in 2024.

A broader adoption of 80% recycled plastic for Cadbury tablet packaging was rolled out in 2025.

Richard Akkermans, Packaging Sustainability Manager Europe at Mondelēz International, says: “Innovation in both mechanical and chemical recycling technologies is essential to increasing the availability of food-contact recycled plastic.

“By working closely with suppliers and value chain partners, we are turning sustainability ambition into practical action.”

Partnering for supply circularity

As well as targeting reductions in virgin plastic sourcing, Mondelēz International is continuing to invest in plastic packaging circularity to secure future supply chains.

It is investing in circularity pilots in Germany, Belgium, the Nordics and the UK.

One pilot initiative is taking place in Germany with Philadelphia tubs, helping to advance the collection and recycling of packaging through Mondelēz’s partnership with HolyGrail 2030.

This is an industry initiative led by AIM (European Brands Association).

The company is using digital watermarks with the aim of improving sorting accuracy and unlocking additional future sources of food-grade recycled plastic for the market.

The progress Mondelēz is making towards sustainable packaging contributes to Europe’s broader transition towards more circular packaging systems.

This aligns with evolving expectations and regulations regarding recyclability and recycled content in products.

The company aims to significantly reduce its virgin plastic usage and support a more sustainable future for the snacking sector.

It aims to do this through prioritising the use of recycled content as well as advancing innovation across its wide range of product categories.