Mondelez set a target for 2025 that will result in a 5% absolute reduction in virgin plastic use in overall plastic packaging
Mondelez owns brands such as Cadbury and Oreo (Credit: Shutterstock/Muhammad ZA)
Snack and confectionery company Mondelez International, and food and beverage giant PepsiCo have agreed to cut their use of virgin plastic for packaging.
It follows engagement with charity As You Sow regarding reducing single-use plastic packaging that contributes to ocean plastic pollution.
The move will see both companies increase efforts to eliminate and replace single-use plastics.
As You Sow senior vice president Conrad MacKerron said: “We are pleased to announce an agreement by two of the companies we filed proposals with to cut their use of virgin plastic used for packaging.
“We look forward to other companies stepping forward to make similar commitments, and making bolder, larger absolute cuts in overall plastic packaging.”
How are Mondelez and PepsiCo looking to tackle their use of virgin plastic?
Mondelez set a target for 2025 that will result in a 5% absolute reduction in virgin plastic use in overall plastic packaging.
This includes a 25% cut in virgin plastic in its rigid plastic packaging, with these actions expecting to result in a 10,000 tonne reduction of virgin plastic packaging.
The targets will be achieved through the elimination of plastic material, packaging redesign, increased use of recycled content in flexible and rigid plastics, and exploration of reuse models, according to the company.
These goals will reduce plastic over 2020 baseline usage amounts and will account for projected business growth.
PepsiCo also committed to a time-bound goal for an absolute reduction of virgin plastic across its business units, but is still assessing the size of the cuts and will announce the goal later in 2021.
In 2019, it agreed to reduce virgin plastic content by 35% in its beverage portfolio.
The new reduction target will build on this goal and apply to the other company sectors such as snack and foods divisions Frito Lay and Quaker Oats.
The cuts will be achieved through a number of levers related to packaging design to eliminate plastic, reuse business models, product innovation, and increased the use of recycled content.