The reduction of use of virgin plastic in Europe It is making steady progress in the food and consumer goods sector, and Mondelēz International has become one of the more visible examples of this changeThe company has taken several important steps in transforming its packaging, especially in widespread categories such as chocolate and biscuits, with a strong presence in countries like Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
In recent years, the company has progressively integrated recycled plastic in its trays and wrappersThis translates into a significant reduction in the amount of virgin plastic it places on the European market. This move is part of a broader packaging circularity strategy, which combines quantitative targets for recycled content, investment in new recycling technologies and pilot projects to improve waste collection and sorting.
Reduction of virgin plastic and targets achieved in Europe
One of the most relevant milestones communicated by the company is the annual reduction of around 1.000 tons of virgin plastic Thanks to the transition from conventional rigid plastic trays to trays made with approximately 80% recycled plastic (rPET). This change affects several iconic chocolate and biscuit brands present in much of Europe, including products widely consumed in Spain. significant reduction of virgin plastic This is an example of how the incorporation of rPET influences the total volume of virgin material.
In addition to this quantitative achievement, Mondelēz's European region has already reached overall goal of incorporating 5% recycled content in their packaging compared to 2020. Although the figure may seem modest, it represents a first step towards continuing to increase the proportion of recycled material in the coming years and sustainably reducing dependence on virgin plastic. This progress is related to the innovations in sustainable materials that facilitate the use of recycled content.
Company sustainability officers, such as Catherine Burgeat, Sustainability Senior Director of EuropeThey emphasized that these goals are part of a long-term roadmap towards more circular packaging. The switch from virgin PET trays to rPET is seen as a key step, both in reducing the use of fossil resources and in adapting to the European regulatory framework that promotes recyclability and minimum recycled content.
The transformation is not limited to introducing recycled plastic, but also encompasses design changes, such as the color removal in certain trays to facilitate its sorting and recycling. By simplifying the composition of the packaging, its value as a secondary raw material in European recycling plants is improved.
These advances are being rolled out in strategic markets across Europe, including United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandThis demonstrates the company's ability to implement packaging adjustments in a coordinated manner across different countries, with regulations and waste management systems that are not always identical.
Recycling technologies to increase recycled content
The effort to reduce virgin plastic rests on two major technological pillars: the mechanical recycling and the chemical recyclingMondelēz International is leveraging both avenues to increase the volume of recycled plastic available that is suitable for food contact, one of the main current limitations of the European market.
On the ground of mechanical recyclingThe company uses industry-standard processes: collecting, cleaning, and reprocessing post-consumer plastics to transform them into new packaging materials. By 2025, this approach allowed the incorporation of approximately 1.000 tons of rPET in trays for boxed chocolate products - such as Milka, Marabou, Mirabelle and Suchard chocolates - and for various types of cookies, including Milka Choco Wafer, Chips Ahoy and Oreo.
An illustrative case is that of Milka ChocolatesThe company, which already uses trays made with approximately 80% mechanically recycled plastic, has also eliminated color from the material to further facilitate recycling. The company plans to extend this type of change to other brands and product lines, leveraging the experience gained from the initial launches.
In parallel, Mondelēz is making progress in chemical recyclingThis technology breaks down plastics into basic molecular building blocks and transforms them back into resins suitable for food contact. This approach is especially relevant in Europe, where demand far exceeds the available supply.
The company positioned itself among the first to adopt this technology in the European market. Cadbury Dairy MilkIn the UK, it introduced around 30% chemically recycled content into its packaging in 2022, and later Kvikk LunsjIn the Nordic countries, a similar path was followed in 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, the use of chemically recycled plastic has been expanded to approximately 80% in Cadbury tablet wrappers, consolidating a notable reduction of virgin plastic in that category.
As explained Richard Akkermans, Packaging Sustainability Manager EuropeThe combination of both recycling technologies is essential to guarantee a sufficient supply of recycled plastic for food use. Cooperation with suppliers and the recycled plastics industry It is key to translating public commitments to sustainability into concrete and measurable actions.
Pilot projects on circularity and improved collection in Europe
Reducing virgin plastic depends not only on introducing recycled materials into packaging, but also on encouraging that packaging are collected, sorted and recycled effectively within the European market. For this reason, Mondelēz participates in various circularity initiatives that seek to strengthen the existing recycling infrastructure.
Among them, one stands out. pilot project in Germany focused on Philadelphia tub-type packagingIn this case, the company is participating in collaboration with HolyGrail 2030, a sector initiative promoted by AIM (European Brands Association), which is experimenting with digital water brands incorporated into packaging to improve the accuracy of classification at treatment plants.
The use of these digital watermarks aims to facilitate the identification of different types of plastic, separate them more accurately, and ultimately, Increase the amount of recycled material suitable for food contact.If the results are positive, systems like this could be extended to other European countries, including Spain, where improving sorting is one of the major challenges to increasing recycling rates.
In addition to the pilot program in Germany, the company has indicated that it continues investing in plastic packaging circularity projects In other markets such as Belgium, the Nordic countries, and the United Kingdom, these initiatives focus on both collection and recycling, as well as experimenting with new packaging designs that facilitate closing the loop.
Involvement in these types of projects aligns with the regulatory trend in the European Union, which is promoting extended producer responsibility systems, mandatory recycled content targets, and stricter recyclability requirements. For companies operating in numerous countries, such as Mondelēz, anticipating these changes is practically essential to reducing risks and ensuring the future availability of recycled materials.
A change of scale in Europe with an impact on the Spanish market
Mondelēz's progress in reducing virgin plastic is part of a broader transition towards circular packaging models in EuropeThis directly impacts how packaging is produced, distributed, and recycled in markets like Spain. The company's presence in mass-market consumer categories means that any changes to its packaging have a significant impact on the total volume of plastic placed on the market.
In countries like Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United KingdomThe incorporation of rPET and other large-scale recycled solutions helps reduce pressure on virgin resources and stimulate demand for high-quality recycled materials. This, in turn, can incentivize investment in new recycling plants and improve the economic viability of selective collection systems.
The company's strategy also aligns with the expectations of European consumers, who are increasingly aware of the impact of single-use plastics and more attentive to the type of material used in the packaging of the products they buy every day. Although the purchase decision does not depend solely on the packaging, the perception of sustainability It is gaining importance in the choice of brands and formats.
From a business perspective, the commitment to packaging with higher recycled content and improved recyclability is interpreted as a way of anticipate future legal obligations and avoid potential market restrictions. The EU is moving towards more demanding plastic waste reduction targets, and companies that act early could be in a more favorable position when those requirements become fully enforceable.
Taken together, the combination of reducing virgin plastic, increasing recycled content, and participating in circularity projects positions Mondelēz as a case study of how the snacking sector can adapt to the new rules of the game in Europe, while continuing to operate in markets as diverse as Spain, France, and the UK.
All this movement towards more circular packaging shows how a multinational with a presence in much of Europe is able to tangibly reduce the use of virgin plastic By implementing gradual but consistent changes—from trays with 80% rPET and more recyclable designs, to the combined use of mechanical and chemical recycling and participation in advanced sorting pilot projects—the company is opening up a scenario for consumers and the European market in which packaging for everyday products increasingly incorporates recycled material and fits better into a circular economy model that is gradually becoming established.
