Mondelēz confirms support for major sustainability drives tackling pollution and waste
The Mondelēz International global snacks and confectionery group has joined two key initiatives aimed at tackling plastic waste and pollution, as it moves towards 100% recyclable materials in its products.
As the company confirmed, it is now a signatory of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, as well as a participant in the New Plastics Economy Initiative, and a member of the UK Plastics Pact. These initiatives share a collective ambition to address plastic waste and pollution at its source, by moving toward a circular economy where plastic stays in the economy and out of the environment.
The announcement marks an important step forward in Mondelēz International’s ambition to create positive impact for people and planet and achieve zero-net waste packaging.
Its initiative comes amid another major move from the business in donate $15 million in financial and in-kind support to community partners advancing critical food stability and emergency relief efforts across the world in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Managing through and recovering from this global crisis will take everyone’s support and I am pleased we’re standing up to advance relief efforts around the world,” said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our purpose and values as a company are rooted in doing what’s right for our people and our communities and this $15 million global commitment will help further the impactful work of local community partners providing safety, security and assistance for the people who need it most.”
As for its environmental commitments, the company set 2025 packaging innovation targets to ensure 100% of packaging is designed to be recycled, contains on-pack recycling information and contributes to the company’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions. Today, 93 percent of the company’s total packaging, including both plastic and non-plastic, is designed to be recycled.
In addition, the announcement advances the company’s leadership role in calling for and participating in sector-wide collaboration to identify and scale up innovation, harmonise packaging formats to make recycling easier and improve waste management infrastructure.
“We believe that sector-wide initiatives, in collaboration with government, are key to reducing the impact of packaging on our planet” said Christine Montenegro McGrath, Vice President of Sustainability and Global Impact at Mondelēz International. “Through our partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and in joining The UK Plastics Pact, we are accelerating our work toward creating zero net waste packaging and improving recycling globally, and we are fully committed to their vision.”
The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment has set ambitious 2025 targets which Mondelēz International, along with signatories from government, business and other organizations, has formally endorsed. As part of the Global Commitment, Mondelēz International will work towards the following:
Take action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging by 2025
100% of plastic packaging to be reusable or recyclable
Use 5% recycled content (by weight) across all plastic packaging used
Take action to move from single-use towards reuse models where relevant
“The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment unites businesses, governments and others behind a clear vision of a circular economy for plastic. We are pleased Mondelēz International is joining us as a New Plastics Economy Participant and Global Commitment signatory, by setting concrete 2025 targets. Our vision is for a world where plastic never becomes waste or pollution. It will be a challenging journey, but by coming together we can eliminate the plastics we don’t need and innovate, so the plastics we do need can be safely and easily circulated – keeping them in the economy and out of the environment,” said Sander Defruyt, Lead of the New Plastics Economy Initiative at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
As a member of the UK Plastics Pact, which is the first in a global network of Pacts which the company is aligned with, and support the New Plastics Economy initiative, Mondelēz International has committed to UK Pact 2025 targets. These include eliminating unnecessary and problematic packaging and plastic products, ensuring all plastic packaging is recyclable in practice, as well as using recycled plastic in our packaging wherever possible.
“We are delighted to have Mondelēz International sign up to The UK Plastics Pact. Through our first-of-a-kind Pact we are working together with governments, citizens and business to transform the way we make, use and dispose of plastic so that we retain its value, but prevent it from polluting the environment,” said Marcus Gover, CEO WRAP the organization behind the Pact.
Joining these initiatives furthers Mondelēz International’s 2025 sustainability goals which are focused on making snacks with less energy, water and waste. These goals are designed to address climate change in a meaningful way and are based on an end-to-end, science-based approach to reducing the company’s carbon footprint, including reducing absolute CO2 emissions from manufacturing and addressing deforestation in key raw material supply chains.