Mondelēz advances recycled-content across Cadbury Easter range

Mondelēz International has expanded the use of recycled-content plastic across its Easter confectionery portfolio, with new packaging formats for Cadbury products incorporating post-consumer recycled (PCR) material as part of the company’s wider drive to reduce virgin plastic.

The move sees 65% certified recycled plastic introduced into packaging for three bag sizes of Cadbury Mini Eggs (31.9g, 74g and 256g), equating to around 100 tonnes of PCR plastic and roughly 70 million bags annually.

Alongside this, small and large Cadbury Easter tablets will be packaged in 80% certified recycled plastic film, covering approximately 16 million bars and around 34 tonnes of plastic packaging.

The new materials have been developed with packaging supplier Amcor using its AmFiniti technology, which converts post-consumer plastic waste into new packaging-grade material through advanced recycling processes. The system operates using a mass balance approach, enabling certified recycled feedstock to be tracked through complex polymer production chains.

Joanna Dias, UK & Ireland sustainability lead at Mondelēz International, said: “Our Cadbury Mini Eggs range is an iconic Easter treat… this is an exciting moment to increase our use of recycled plastic packaging.”

She added: “This marks another fantastic milestone for Mondelēz UK&I as we work towards the delivery of Mondelēz’s global sustainability goals, namely, reducing our use of virgin plastic.”

Additional packaging changes across the seasonal range include replacing the ribbon handle on the Cadbury Special Gesture Shell Egg with a recyclable cardboard handle, removing further plastic from the format.

Janice Narainsamy, senior product development engineer at Amcor, said: “Expanding recycled content into seasonal favourites such as the Easter range demonstrates what’s possible when innovation and partnership align.”

Overall, around 134 tonnes of post-consumer recycled plastic will be sourced for packaging across elements of the Cadbury Easter range this year.

The initiative forms part of Mondelēz International’s “Pack Light and Right” strategy, which targets 98% of packaging to be designed for recyclability and clear recycling labelling by 2030, while also reducing virgin plastic use in rigid packaging by at least 25% over the same period.

To support consumer engagement, Mini Eggs packs will also carry a QR code linking to further information on the recycled materials used and the company’s wider packaging sustainability programme.

For manufacturers and packaging suppliers, the rollout highlights the increasing role of advanced recycling and mass balance-certified PCR resins in enabling food-grade flexible packaging formats to incorporate higher levels of recycled material while maintaining barrier performance and regulatory compliance.