Mondel?z International announced that it has completed the replacement of its rigid PET trays with FSC-certified paper for eight of its cookie brands (LU, Milka, Granola, Cadbury, Marabou, Chips Ahoy!, Lacta, and Freia).
This rollout covers more than 25 European markets, including France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, and the Nordic countries, representing approximately 28,000 metric tons of cookies produced each year.
2,200 metric tons of virgin plastic eliminated each year
Based on projected production volumes for 2026, Mondel?z estimates that approximately 2,200 metric tons of virgin plastic will be eliminated annually. This represents a reduction of about 80% compared to the previous packaging. This calculation takes into account the plastic used for both the outer wrapper and the PET tray.
"Replacing rigid plastic with paper across 115 products, eight brands, and 25 European markets in just a few months required us to rethink every layer of our packaging, from tray design to logistics." , says Olivier Kintzig, director of cookie packaging for Europe at Mondel?z International.
Mondel?z had already changed the composition of certain Milka, Oreo, Cadbury, and Chips Ahoy! packages, which now contain about 80% recycled PET. The European program is taking another step forward by replacing PET with paper in the relevant products.
Mondel?z has committed to reducing its global use of virgin rigid plastic by 25% by 2030 compared to 2020. This deadline aligns with that of several provisions of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Starting in 2030, packaging placed on the market in the European Union will be required to meet specific recyclability criteria, and plastic packaging will be subject to minimum recycled content requirements based on its category.
