Mondelēz International has announced that it has met its global goal for recycled plastic content in Europe and reported a reduction of further 1,000 tonnes of virgin plastic in 2025.
The Cadbury-creater declared it reached its goal of 5% recycled content in plastic packaging compared to 2020, marking a milestone in its European packaging transformation strategy.
As part of this effort, Mondelēz has transitioned from rigid plastic trays to alternatives containing approximately 80% recycled plastic across several of its brands, including Milka and Oreo, among others.
The shift is expected to deliver an annual reduction of around 1,000 tonnes of virgin plastic across the region.
Catherine Burgeat, senior director of sustainability for Europe at Mondelēz International, noted, “Replacing PET plastic trays with rPET is a major step towards reducing our virgin plastic usage and contributing to a more circular packaging economy.”
Packaging Innovations
The alters have been rolled out across multiple European markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
Mondelēz is also investing in both mechanical and chemical recycling technologies, aiming to further reduce virgin plastic utilize.
Mechanical recycling has facilitated the integration of around 1,000 tonnes of recycled PET into packaging in 2025, while chemical recycling is being utilized to enable reutilize in food-contact packaging for some brands, the company noted.
Richard Akkermans, packaging sustainability manager of Europe at Mondelēz International, declared, “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.”
Circular Initiatives
In addition, the company is piloting circular packaging initiatives across several European markets, including a project in Germany applying digital watermarking technology to improve sorting and recycling rates.
Mondelēz stated that these efforts form part of its broader ambition to reduce virgin plastic utilize and support the transition towards more circular packaging systems in Europe.
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