Mondelēz International announced today that its Cadbury core sharing bars, manufactured in Bournville and Coolock and sold in the UK and Ireland, will be wrapped in 80% certified recycled plastic packaging, which can be attributed to plastic sourced from advanced recycling technology.**
This move is the result of a collaboration with Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing more sustainable packaging solutions, and Jindal Films, an industry leader in the development and manufacture of recyclable films designed for flexible packaging.
Starting from 2025, in a phased approach, the project aims to cover approximately 300 million* sharing bars across the UK&I Cadbury core tablet portfolio. The move will see the highest percentage of recycled flexible plastic used within the Cadbury brand globally. As part of this effort, 80% of the plastic used in the packaging can be attributed to recycled plastic through mass balance and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification.**
Consumers can also access a new platform via an on-pack QR code to find out more about the sustainable packaging journey the Cadbury brand is taking and a consumer-friendly explanation about mass balance. The platform also features the Recycle Now® locator from WRAP, enabling consumers to check local collection and recycling points for a wide range of packaging materials.
“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,” said Louise Stigant, SVP and UK&I Managing Director, Mondelēz International.
Helen Bird, Head of Material System Transformation at WRAP, commented, "The biggest recycling challenge is plastic wrapping – collecting it at scale, sorting and recycling it into new things … ideally packaging. 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 products ranges."
Kyra Chavalés, Global Key Account Manager at Amcor, said, “Mondelēz International’s implementation of the AmFiniti™ solution is a major step towards further advancing recycled plastic packaging across the global confectionary 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.”
Amcor’s AmFiniti™ solution converts post-consumer plastic waste into new products, providing Mondelēz International with a packaging solution that is made using 80% certified recycled plastic **. This innovative process uses advanced recycling Material (ARM) that is suitable for food-grade applications.
* Based on forecasted 2026 sales volumes, exc non-certified wrappers and considering the use of mass balance material.
** The sourcing approach used by Mondelēz International for its recycled content and used by many other companies and commodities around the world is called mass balance. Mondelēz International uses ISCC certified material aligned to a set of sustainability standards. For more information on mass balance and ISCC certification, please visit Mass Balance Explained – ISCC System (iscc-system.org)
Mondelēz International is on Packaging Strategies' current list of the Top 100 Food & Beverage Packaging Companies. Click here to see the current rankings.
