Amcor, a global packaging solutions provider, has entered into an agreement with Cadbury to supply approximately 1,000 tons of post-consumer recycled plastic for wrapping its core Cadbury chocolate range. The deal is part of Cadbury’s efforts to reduce its reliance on virgin plastic.
Cadbury had previously announced in 2022 that it had sourced around 30% of the plastic required for wrapping its 160g to 185g Cadbury Dairy Milk family blocks in Australia from recycled materials. With this new agreement, Cadbury aims to increase the use of recycled plastic to approximately 50% across its chocolate blocks, bars, and pieces range produced in Australia, effectively halving its virgin plastic usage for these products.
The transition to recycled material is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2024, starting with blocks and subsequently expanding to include bar lines such as Cherry Ripe, Crunchie, and Twirl, as well as pieces wraps for Roses and Favourites.
This development follows closely after Mondelēz International, the custodian of Cadbury, unveiled its long-term vision to recycle plastic waste domestically. Mondelēz International has partnered with Amcor to invest in Licella, facilitating the construction of one of Australia’s first soft plastic advanced recycling facilities in Melbourne. The facility, managed by Advanced Recycling Victoria (ARV), is expected to be operational by 2025 and will initially process approximately 20,000 tons per annum of end-of-life plastic, with plans for scaling up to about 120,000 tons per annum.
Mike Cash, President of Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific, expressed pride in supporting Mondelēz International’s sustainability goals, stating, “Being able to source this significant volume of recycled material for Mondelēz gives them the opportunity to differentiate and grow, and demonstrates the collective commitment of Mondelez’s leadership.”
Darren O’Brien, President of Mondelēz International Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, emphasized the importance of reducing virgin plastic use and promoting a circular packaging economy, stating, “By creating confidence in the market for recycled material, we’re helping to build a future for plastic recycling in this country.”
In response to the partnership, Cadbury’s President, Darren O’Brien, remarked, “Chocolate lovers love Cadbury Dairy Milk for its generous ‘glass and a half’ slogan, but when it comes to virgin plastic in our packaging, less is more. By halving our virgin plastic needs in our Cadbury chocolate blocks, bars, and pieces portfolio, we are on a path to better packaging.”