Mondelez International
Packaging producers and users
Key Metrics
Plastic packaging weight
189,500 metric tonnes
Total and/or virgin plastic packaging reduction target
5% virgin reduction compared to 2020
Reusable plastic packaging
Reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging
100
75
50
25
%
Post-consumer recycled content
100
75
50
25
%
* Aligned: in assessing the recyclability of their portfolio this signatory has aligned with the New Plastics Economy 2021 Recycling Rate Survey results and/or the Global Commitment methodology of recyclability ‘in pratice and at scale’. This means their recyclability percentage is comparable to other signatories that also aligned with the above.
Company Details
Description
Mondelēz International empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries. With 2020 net revenues of $27 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with global and local brands such as OREO®, belVita® and LU® biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk®, Milka® and Toblerone® chocolate; and Trident® gum.
Revenue band (USD)
> $10 billion
Headquarters location
United States
Regions active
Africa: Eastern Africa, Middle Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa
America: Caribbean, Central America, Northern America, South America
Asia: Eastern Asia, South-eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Western Asia
Europe: Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe
Oceania: Australia and New Zealand
Products sold in plastic packaging
Food & nutrition
Reporting details
Data verification/assurance status
Plans to introduce or extend scope of third-party verification or assurance in development (see endnotes for more information)
Scope of reported data
Does not cover the full scope of activities (see endnotes for more information)
12-month quantitative data time frame
From December 2019 to December 2020
Joined the Global Commitment
January 2020
Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Plastics Pact Network membership (as of 18/05/2021)
Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island Nations, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
Webpage or report addressing progress
https://www.mondelezinternational.com/-/media/Mondelez/Snacking-Made-Right/SMR-Report/2020/2020_MDLZ_Snacking_Made_Right_Report.pdf
Plastic packaging portfolio details
See endnotes for more information on quantitative data
Plastic packaging weight (new packaging)
189,500 metric tonnes
Reused plastic packaging weight
0 metric tonnes
Plastic packaging categories in portfolio
Type | Category | Proportion |
---|
Rigids | PET bottle | 0.2% |
PET thermoforms | 7.8% | |
HDPE bottles | 1.2% | |
PP bottles | 0.4% | |
PP other rigids | 11.8% | |
PS rigids | 4.4% | |
PVC rigids | 0.1% |
Flexible | >A4 mono-materials PE in B2B context | 3.2% |
<A4 flexibles PE | 10.6% | |
<A4 flexibles PP | 37.5% | |
<A4 multi-material flexibles | 21.6% | |
Other <A4 mono-material flexibles | 1% |
Plastic packaging design assessment
Reusable, recyclable and/or compostable
5%
Reusable
0%
Recyclable
5%
Compostable
0%
Material sourcing
Virgin fossil-based content
99.7%
Post-consumer recycled content
0.3%
Pre-consumer recycled content
0%
Virgin renewable content
0%
Link to other published data
https://www.mondelezinternational.com/-/media/Mondelez/Snacking-Made-Right/SMR-Report/2020/2020_MDLZ_Snacking_Made_Right_Report.pdf
Commitments
Plastic and/or virgin plastic packaging reduction target
2025 target
5% virgin reduction compared to 2020
Plastic packaging weight baseline
189,020 metric tonnes - same scope as the reporting scope (see endnotes for more information)
Additional information about the target
By 2025, Mondelez International aims for an at least 25% reduction in virgin plastic use in its rigid plastic packaging or a 5% reduction in virgin plastic use in its overall plastic packaging portfolio, assuming constant portfolio mix.
The virgin plastic use reduction target will be achieved through a combination of measures including reduction and elimination of plastic material, replacement of plastic material by environmentally advantaged alternatives, increased use of recycled content and the adoption of reuse models for the company's portfolio where it makes sense to do so.
Our use of recycled content will include mechanically recycled PET in biscuits and chocolate plastic trays as well as food grade advanced recycling of polyolefins for both rigid and flexible plastics.
Our planned reduction in the use of plastics overall includes elimination for both flexible and rigid plastics, reuse or new delivery models, and replacement of both flexible and rigid plastics by paper where environmentally and technically feasible.
Eliminating problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging
Progress made over the reporting period
Examples of materials / formats / components eliminated or reduced
Proportion elimated % of weight | Weight eliminated metric tonnes | Quantity eliminated units | Primary means of elimination | Other details | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PS | 33 | 4,566 | - | Substitution to another plastic | Replacing by clear PET trays in line with CGF’s GDR 5 for most of the portfolio |
PVC | 10 | 108 | - | Substitution to another plastic | Substitution to mono-material plastic in 2020 per commitment to CGF's GDR 2 |
PVDC | 15 | 36 | - | Substitution to mono-material plastic | Substitution to mono-material plastic in 2020 per commitment to CGF's GDR 2 |
Undetectable carbon black | 30 | 195 | - | Removal of a pigment/additive | Black color changed by other colors or clear plastics |
Other material | 93 | 18 | - | Substitution to another material | Cellophane replaced by paper or plastic |
Single-use cutlery/serveware | 54 | 41 | 12,704,600 | Direct elimination | Knife elimination in Vietnam's 'mooncake' product. |
Plastic windows (in cardboard boxes) | - | 4.5 | 6,400,000 | Direct elimination | Eliminated more than 6.4 million plastic windows from chocolate eggs on sale in the UK and Ireland this Easter, taking 5.4 tonnes of plastic out of the environment and making its packaging easier for consumers to recycle |
Activities and progress made on elimination
Eliminated more than 6.4 million plastic windows from chocolate eggs on sale in the UK and Ireland for the Easter 2021 season, taking 5.4 tonnes of plastic out of the environment and making its packaging easier for consumers to recycle. Production started in 2020. Eliminated more than 12 million plastic knives from our mooncake product line in Vietnam. Made progress in our plans to eliminate PS, PVC, PVdC and carbon black packaging, having eliminated on average a 30% or the volume used in this group of materials. We have concrete plans to eliminate carbon black from our plastic packaging portfolio by the end of 2021.
Planned actions by 2025
Plastic packaging to be eliminated or reduced
Proportion elimated % of weight | Weight eliminated metric tonnes | Quantity eliminated | Year Achieved | Other details | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other: Cuttlery | - | - | - | - | - |
PS | >50% | 9,387 | - | 2022 | To be replaced mostly by PET, securing the value in PET recycling by following the respective CGF Golden Design Rule. |
PVC | 100% | 949 | - | 2025 | Blister packs used in gum and our shrink sleeves |
PVDC | 100% | 205 | - | 2025 | High barrier films used in various products and from coatings used in seals for rigid packaging |
Single-use cutlery/serveware | 100% | 35 | - | 2022 | Replace plastic by wood in spoons used for 'Egg n Spoons' in Europe |
Undetectable carbon black | 100% | 447 | - | 2021 | Used in trays, injection molded vails and sleeve labels |
Planned actions on elimination
Our plans to eliminate non-detectable carbon black, PVC, PVdC and PS from our portfolios by end of 2025, are:
• 100% of non-detectable carbon black will be eliminated before end of 2021. Black plastics are used in our gifting portfolio. Our approach is to avoid the use of black as background to avoid confusing consumers over the recyclability of our packaging in the affected portfolio.
• Over 50% of our packaging using PS will be eliminated by 2022 through conversion to PET. The biggest contributor in use of PS is our portfolio of thermoformed trays for Oreo®, Chips Ahoy!®, and other biscuit brands in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• 100% of our packaging using PVC, PVdC, and PS will be eliminated by 2025. PVC is used in our blister packs for gum products as well as in shrink sleeve labels for our gum bottles. We are exploring solutions for both. Our use of PVdC is minimal and focused on a few flexible packaging applications. We are exploring alternative solutions.
Moving from single-use towards reuse models
Progress made over the reporting period
Share of plastic packaging that is reusable (2020)
Availability of reuse models today
Reuse models in place for consumer facing products or packaging
Product line(s) with reuse model(s): 1 (100% of total) (see endonotes for more information)
Market(s) where reuse models are available today: Western Europe (6% of total)
Product applications and reuse model types
Reuse model types | Markets | Other details | |
---|---|---|---|
Food & nutrition | Return from home | France | Milka chocobakery range |
Pilots launched
0
Activities and progress made on reuse
We have completed a holistic assessment of the pilot program we ran with Loop from TerraCycle in France for our Milka chocobakery portfolio. We have identified the key success factors for its scale up and are prepared to support its expansion as the Loop model matures. We are in the process of evaluating further opportunities to adopt Reuse/Refill offerings for global brands in our main markets. The recent Loop project will be included within this assessment. We are working with external partners to develop a comprehensive strategy. We have not yet finalized these assessments as of the deadline for preparing this report.
Planned action by 2025
Product applications and reuse model types to be introduced or expanded
None reported
Other 2025 reuse goals
Piloting reuse models for new products or packaging: 5 pilots
Planned actions on reuse
During the course of 2021 we are completing an assessment of reuse models applicable to our snacking portfolio, including the identification of pilots for testing and further scaling. This includes opportunities for bulk offerings. Already executed projects such as Loop, along with projects in development, will be included within this analysis and prioritized for execution. At the point of submitting this report we have not finalized plans. We aim to complete them by the end of 2021. This will include a range of test and learn pilots across priority markets.
100% reusable, recyclable and/or compostable plastic packaging
Progress made over the reporting period
Share of plastic packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable (2020)
Actions and progress made to make packaging recyclable or compostable (see previous section for progress on shifting to reusable packaging)
During the course of 2020 we made steady progress towards designing 100% of our packaging for recyclability. Below are a few examples of our progress:
1. We have replaced PS by PET in our thermoformed tubs for Dairylea Lunchables and Snackers range in the UK, where we are using 75% recycled PET.
2. We have started the replacement of PS by PET in thermoformed trays used in biscuit portfolios in the US and Canada. This program is expected to be completed by 2022.
3. We have completed the replacement of multi-material laminates by mono-material films for a number of flow wrapped chocolate products in India and across Eastern Europe.
Actions and progress made on collaborating towards increasing recycling and composting rates for plastic packaging
1. Collaborated with CEFLEX in the launch of the Design for a Circular Economy guidelines flexible packaging phase 1.
2. Actively collaborating in the industrial scale testing of digital watermarks through the Holy Grail 2.0 program in Europe.
3. Sponsored the MRFF consortium, completed pilot research demonstrating that flexible packaging can be efficiently captured in a large single-stream MRF and processed into a commodity bale for reuse in a variety of markets.
4. Financing a pilot project in India with NGO Hasiru Dala to create a social enterprise that will sort, clean, and recycle flexible plastic waste into boards for furniture and construction.
5. Joined the US Plastics Pact, as well as the Canada and ANZPAC Plastics Pacts.
Additional details on recyclability
Share of plastic packaging that is recyclable (2020)
Alignment with the New Plastics Economy 2021 Recycling Rate Survey results
Yes
Optional metric — share of plastic packaging that is ‘designed for recycling’
73 % (see endnotes for more information on the packaging considered as designed for recycling)
Please note: This optional metric is not the same as the percentage of recyclable plastic packaging contributing towards the 100% target. More information on the Global Commitment recyclability definition can be found in the 2021 Progress Report.
Planned actions by 2025
2025 target
100% reusable, recyclable or compostable
Planned actions to make packaging recyclable or compostable
We have secured plans to accelerate the conversion of our multi-material flexible packaging and its replacement by mono-material flexible packaging: • We will continue to validate mono-material flexible packaging solutions for flow wraps, bags and stand up pouches used in biscuit products in major North American, European, Latin American and Asian markets. • We will continue to validate similar solutions for bags used in chocolate products in major European, Asian, Latin American and African markets. • We will continue validation plans for technical solutions for our gum, candy and powdered beverage products that are currently using laminations with alufoil and plastic as well as alufoil and paper in our major markets.
Planned actions on collaborating towards increasing recycling and composting rates for plastic packaging
We will continue to evaluate the use of digital watermarks to improve the ability of sorting equipment to identify our packaging, with planned trials in 2021. We are planning to collaborate with The Recycling Partnership in the US through the Film and Flexibles coalition, with the goal of gathering data on the impacts of available collection methods, assessing the most promising interventions to pilot; and implementing national interventions to drive the recycling of films and flexibles. We are joining forces with Mars UK, Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever to finance and launch £1m Flexible Plastic Fund, designed to drive progress towards household collection of flexible plastic for recycling.
Increasing post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging
Progress made over the reporting period
Level of post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging (2020)
Activities and progress made on post-consumer recycled content
We use recycled PET in thermoformed packaging used for our Dairylea Lunchables in the UK, which hit the market in early 2020. We have secured the supply of food-grade recycled polypropylene for our Philadelphia tubs across Europe, starting in late 2022.
Planned actions by 2025
2025 post-consumer recycled content target
5%
Planned actions to increase post-consumer recycled content
We will use food-grade mass balanced recycled polypropylene in our Philadelphia tubs across Europe, starting from late 2022. We will also use recycled rPET in Oreo and Chips Ahoy biscuits trays in North America and Mexico by 2025. We continue to explore the use of recycled polyolefins in our packaging portfolio, including in food contact applications.
Investments
Total invested/committed over the reporting period towards achieving the commitments
Submitted to the Foundation only
End notes
Third-party verification/assurance
We are in the process of developing our third party assurance program to expand reporting disclosures.
Scope of reporting
Our data covers the plastic packaging used by Mondelez International manufacturing facilities accounting for 91% of our finished product volumes. It excludes the plastic packaging used in external manufacturing operations and some newly acquired businesses collectively representing about 9% of our finished product volumes. We have applied a 9% mark-up factor to account for the expected share of volume of the not-accounted-for finished product.
Plastic packaging designed for recycling
DfR rigid plastics follow APR guidelines. Closures are widely recycled, labels are <5% of total weight, so all these items are counted as recyclable. The remaining portfolio that is not DfR is using either PS, PVC, or undetectable carbon black materials. Flexible packaging DfR according to CEFLEX’s D4ACE guidelines: minimum 90% of polyolefin based mono-material; inks, or any other packaging component <5% of total weight, and dimensions superior to 20x20 mm. Rest of flexibles are not DfR.
Product line definition
For product line(s) with available reuse model(s): Milka Chocobakery range of 4 products under the Milka brand in France with Loop by TerraCycle