Small eco step: Mondelēz commits to 5% recycled plastic for Philadelphia range

03 Jun 2020 --- Mondelēz International has revealed that its European-sold Philadelphia cream cheese will be produced using 5 percent recycled plastic packaging as of 2022. This move will make Philadelphia the first cream cheese brand to use recycled plastic in its packaging, according to the snacking giant. The launch is an “important step” in Mondelēz’s long-term goal to achieve zero net waste and comes amid intensified consumer demand for circular packaging solutions in food and beverages.

“By recovering and diverting waste that would have otherwise been sent to landfill or incineration, we are working towards our common goal of promoting a circular economy,” says Jean-Marc Galvez, President Consumer Packaging International, Berry Global, a Fortune 500 global manufacturer and marketer of plastic packaging products.

“It’s vital to find and implement innovative, viable solutions to help stop plastic from getting into the environment, where it doesn’t belong,” adds Vince Gruber, Executive Vice President and President, Europe for Mondelēz. The company maintains that it uses advanced recycling technology to recover and divert waste that would have otherwise been sent to landfill or incineration to use as its packaging materials. 

Berry Global will futher be collaborating with Mondelēz in supplying the packaging containing recycled plastic for Philadelphia cream cheese. The package contains plastic material recovered using advanced recycling technology from Berry’s partnership with SABIC.

The move toward 5 percent recycled plastics aligns with Innova Market Insights' Top Packaging Trend "Plastics Come Full Circle" for 2020.Recycled plastics trending
As circular economy targets loom on the horizon, the incorporation of recycled plastics into packaging is on the rise. Innova Market Insights pegs “Plastics Come Full Circle” as its second top packaging trend for 2020. Across the Atlantic, the UK government also has a 2022 vision for increased use of recycled plastic in packaging, as evidenced by the Plastic Packaging Tax that will be enforced with financial penalties. 

“Our purpose is to empower people to snack right and a big part of this is making sure our snacks use less energy, water and waste – including integrating more sustainably sourced packaging materials,” explains Chris McGrath, Vice President and Chief of Impact, Sustainability and Well-being at Mondelēz.

Notably, FMCG giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have taken a strong stance on the potential scaling up recycling efforts can have on reducing plastic waste. However, McGrath highlights that “designing our packaging for recyclability alone won’t solve the problem of plastic waste.” Therefore, he emphasizes that Mondelēz supports public-private initiatives to increase recovery and recycling rates across the world. 

In March, Mondelēz signed to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and participated in the Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Initiative and the UK Plastics Pact. Already in 2018, the company committed to making all of its packaging recyclable by 2025. It further notes it is “on track” to meet said target, with 93 percent of the company’s packaging designed to be recyclable today.

Edited by Anni Schleicher