Mondelēz International said it has reduced its Cadbury share bags packaging by 15 per cent, removing the equivalent length of 20 football pitches of plastic from the UK.
The move is part of the firm’s strategy to optimise its packaging – through either reduction or removal – as it has set a global target of eliminating 65,000 tonnes of packaging by the end of this year.
The ‘pack light and pack right’ packaging strategy will see Cadbury Giant Buttons, Caramel Nibbles and Bitsa Wispa large sharing bags in a new pack format that uses 15 per cent less packaging, while containing the same amount of treats as before.
As the smaller bags require fewer trucks to transport the same amount of product, the move will also result in the reduction of the number of trucks needed for transportation by 14 per cent, Mondelēz added.
Available now, the company said the new packs are the first in a series of moves planned in the UK to remove or reduce unnecessary packaging.
Louise Stigant, UK managing director at Mondelez International, said: “We’re committed to reducing the impact our products have on the environment and tackling packaging waste. One way in which we are delivering against that ambition is to either reduce or remove our packaging where we can without compromising food safety.
“I’m proud to say that cutting the plastic used in our iconic large share bags by 15%, whilst maintaining the amount of product, is just one step in our journey towards our strategic goal to use less packaging across our UK business, and demonstrates our innovative approach to reducing our environmental impact.”