This article was written by Tom Oakley-Newell and first appeared on Convenience & Impulse Retailing

Cadbury has announced its Cadbury Dairy Milk, Caramilk, and Old Gold family blocks range will be wrapped in 30 per cent recycled plastic.

The move is a significant step towards meeting Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets and will be a world-first for Cadbury. The switch to recycled plastics will see more than 120 tonnes of packaging waste diverted from landfill.

Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelēz International, said Australia was leading the way on finding solutions for a circular economy for packaging waste.

“Until recently, soft plastic packaging has been considered a single use material. The development of advanced recycling technology and our significant investment in recycled soft plastic means it’s now possible for Cadbury fans to enjoy their favourite treats more sustainably here in Australia.”

The new packaging will look and feel the same, carrying Cadbury’s iconic purple colours and distinctive markers, however consumers will notice a new QR code which will lead Cadbury eaters to more information on the packaging innovation.

“We started this process by targeting our larger packaging sizes to maximise our impact, but we’re committed to using more recycled plastic in our packaging in the coming years, as access and availability of advanced recycling technology increases,” explained Van de Put.

Tanya Barden, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), said soft plastic packaging plays an important role – it keeps food fresh, reduces food waste, and helps keep products safe.

“This move by Cadbury to use recycled content in their soft plastic packaging demonstrates that demand exists for this material in Australia. This will help give confidence to the recycling and packaging supply chain to invest in Australian advanced recycling facilities that can process this material.”

The first family blocks to include recycled soft plastic in their packaging are being delivered to major retailers and supermarkets across Australia.