Cadbury UK unveils recyclable plastic pack

Mondelēz International is rolling out new packaging for Cadbury Dairy Milk sharing bars in the UK and Ireland, made with 80 per cent certified recycled plastic. Developed in collaboration with Amcor, the updated wrapper uses recycled material sourced via the ISCC PLUS-certified mass balance approach, marking the highest level of recycled content used in flexible Cadbury packaging to date.

The new packaging incorporates Amcor’s AmPrima recycle-ready film and AmFiniti recycled material. The advanced recycling process enables the conversion of post-consumer plastic waste into food-grade plastic suitable for flexible packaging. A QR code on-pack will direct consumers to further information about the mass balance method and recycling options through WRAP’s Recycle Now locator.

According to Richard Akkermans, European R&D packaging sustainability manager at Mondelēz International, the shift is part of the company’s broader sustainable packaging strategy. “One of our proudest achievements this year is incorporating 80 per cent recycled plastic in our Cadbury Dairy Milk tablet packaging,” he said.

The new wrapper is expected to be phased in from 2025, targeting around 300 million bars based on projected 2026 volumes. Akkermans said the development followed two years of work and collaboration across the value chain. “We’ve had to collaborate across the entire value chain because we need to know who’s got supply of the material and how we can fit that into our value chain,” he said.

Sourcing recycled plastic has come with its challenges, notably limited availability and the need to make technical aspects understandable to consumers. “Explaining concepts like mass balance and why only 80 per cent when all of the packaging is not all plastic,” was part of the process, he said.

Mondelēz has committed to making 98 per cent of its packaging recyclable by weight by the end of 2025. It also aims to cut virgin plastic use by five per cent compared to 2020 levels and ensure that five per cent of plastic used across its entire packaging portfolio comes from recycled sources.

Akkermans added, “Consumers are more and more aware of it and expecting brand owners to be part of the solution.”