Cadbury chocolate just got a little sweeter for the planet, thanks to a new packaging announcement.
Cadbury owner Mondelēz has revealed that the brand's sharing bars will switch to a new wrapping that is composed of 80% certified recycled packaging, per Food Manufacture.
The bars will be sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the packaging will also have a QR code that directs consumers to details about Cadbury's sustainability efforts as well as a link to find local recycling facilities via the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
According to Food Manufacture, 600 tonnes (about 661 U.S. tons) of previously used plastics will be recycled to wrap 300 million bars a year. Mondelēz is working alongside Amcor and Jindal Films to deliver the chocolate bar packaging.
"The biggest recycling challenge is plastic wrapping — collecting it at scale, sorting, and recycling it into new things — ideally packaging," said Helen Bird, head of Material System Transformation at WRAP.
"Recycling this type of plastic back into food packaging can only be achieved through advanced recycling technologies. WRAP is delighted to hear that UK Plastics Pact member Mondelēz is rolling out the use of certified recycled plastic in its Cadbury sharing bars. This is the future and must be scaled far and wide across other companies and products ranges."
Cadbury, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024, has also committed to sourcing cocoa more sustainably, benefiting both cocoa farmers and the planet.
This latest move is more than welcome, as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released a report in 2022 that revealed only 9% of plastic was recycled globally in 2019.
The OECD noted that macroplastics account for 88% of plastic leakage following inappropriate disposal. The remaining 12% were microplastics, which are becoming globally ubiquitous and have been linked to various human and animal health issues.
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The way it looks 😍 Louise Stigant, senior vice president and UK&I managing director of Mondelēz International, hailed the new packaging and pledged to increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastic.
"We remain focused on our long-term aim to offer more sustainable packaging, in particular flexible plastic packaging using advanced recycling technologies," Stigant said, per Food Manufacture.
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