Mondelez International has announced that Philadelphia cream cheese sold across Europe is to be made with recycled plastic packaging from 2022. This represents an important step in the company’s goal to reduce its impact on the environment and its commitment to use at least 5% recycled content across all plastic packaging.
“It is vital to find and implement innovative, viable solutions to help stop plastic from getting into the environment, where it doesn’t belong,” said Vince Gruber, Executive Vice President and President, Europe for Mondelez International. “Philadelphia’s anticipated use of recycled material is an important step in limiting this waste while supporting a closed-loop system.”
The increased use of recycled plastic will drive demand for recycled material and significantly reduce the need to produce new virgin material. With every purchase and recycling of Philadelphia products across Europe, consumers will play an important role in keeping plastic waste out of the environment and meaningfully contribute to a more sustainable future for people and the planet.
“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,” said Chris McGrath, Vice-President and Chief of Impact, Sustainability and Wellbeing at Mondelez International.
“We also know that designing our packaging for recyclability alone won’t solve the problem of plastic waste, which is why we support public-private initiatives to increase recovery and recycling rates across the world.”
Philadelphia’s commitment to advancing packaging innovation is part of Mondelez’s long-term sustainability and wellbeing targets. These commitments include sustainably sourcing key materials, reducing the company’s environmental footprint and respecting the rights of all people across its value chain.
Mondelez is also a participant in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy and a signatory of its Global Commitment, which unites more than 450 businesses, governments and other organisations behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which it never becomes waste or pollution.