Mondelēz International Joins Innovative Loop Platform to Reduce Packaging Waste with Milka Biscuits

Mondelēz International announced today that it has joined the Loop initiative, founded by recycling leader TerraCycle, which aims to tackle packaging waste with a new subscription-based model for distributing consumer goods to homes in reusable containers. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on single-use packaging and to provide a convenient and durable solution to consumers.

Loop enables consumers to enjoy Milka biscuits responsibly, by allowing them to subscribe online to receive customized and brand-specific durable packaging that is collected, cleaned, refilled and reusable.This initiative underscores Mondelēz International’s continued commitment to sustainable consumption and belief in promoting a circular economy. The company aims to make 100 percent of its packaging globally recyclable by 2025.

“At Mondelēz International, we are committed to reducing packaging waste and making all our packaging recyclable by 2025. We are proud to be part of the Loop initiative with our iconic Milka brand, building on its strong commitment to sustainability and well-being and delivering on the brand’s purpose of “making the world a more tender place”,” says Debora Koyama, Chief Marketing Officer, Mondelez Europe. “Milka is a great fit for Loop and the initiative shows how Mondelēz International is living its purpose to empower people to snack right by providing the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.”
           
Four stainless steel containers have been developed to provide consumers a more sustainable way to enjoy Milkachocobakery offer: Milka Cake & Choc soft cake, Milka Choco Biscuit cookies and Milka Tender Break bars. The Milka brand has long engaged consumers with its sustainability approach, sourcing Alpine milk from local, small-scale farms, investing in Cocoa Life to create a sustainable cocoa supply, and sourcing sustainable wheat for its biscuits through the Harmony program.

The program reinforces Mondelēz International’s commitment to creating a positive impact on the planet and people, and will help deliver its long-term objective of zero-net waste packaging. Pilot schemes are scheduled to launch in the spring in France and the northeastern United States. Additional markets are expected to launch in 2019 and 2020.

Mondelēz International Expands Its Sustainable Wheat Program to Cover 100% of European Biscuits by 2022

Mondelēz International announced today its ambition to expand the Harmony program, the company’s sustainable wheat sourcing initiative, to cover 100 percent of its biscuit brands in the European Union by 2022, up from 60 percent of the company’s biscuit production in the EU last year.

Harmony champions biodiversity and good environmental practices in wheat production in Europe.

“European consumers increasingly equate high-quality products with sustainable production. They’re aware of the impact of their food choices on the environment and have high expectations of manufacturers to take their share of responsibility,” said Hubert Weber, Executive Vice President and President Europe. “As Europe’s largest biscuit baker, we can play a role in tackling challenges like climate change and resource shortages by promoting sustainable farming practices and improving biodiversity in our supply chain. In doing so, we contribute to creating a fairer, more transparent and integrated supply chain, in which good quality for consumers means a good impact on farmers and society.”

Today, the Harmony program involves 1,700 farmers, 13 millers and 21 cooperatives across six markets (Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland and Spain), producing 177,000 tons of wheat for the company’s biscuit brands in 2017. That represents about three-quarters of Mondelēz International’s production of biscuits in Western Europe or 60 percent across EU for brands such as LU, Oro, LiGA and Fontaneda. Through the program expansion, annual production of wheat under the sustainable conditions set out by the Harmony charter would increase to over 280,000 tons by 2022. This would cover the volume of wheat needed to produce the company’s entire European biscuit portfolio, adding brands such as belVita, Milka Biscuits and Barni.

First launched 10 years ago in France, Harmony champions biodiversity and good environmental practices in wheat production in Europe. Co-created along the wheat supply chain with farmers, cooperatives and millers, the program seeks the commitment of partner farmers to follow sustainable practices in the cultivation and processing of wheat in return for a premium on their crop. Harmony farmers choose to conserve water, care for the soil, protect biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions, and stand to increase income by doing so.

Harmony was developed with the help of NGOs, agronomists, environmental specialists and research organizations. Harmony practices are audited every year to ensure they are respected. Underpinned by a charter of sustainable practices, the program seeks to:

• minimize the usage of pesticides and fertilizers by encouraging the selection of resilient wheat varieties and through crop rotation and care for soil
• avoid unnecessary treatments
• reduce carbon emissions, especially through the reduction of fertilizer use
• preserve the quality of water
• preserve local biodiversity: 3 percent of the wheat-growing fields are dedicated to flower borders or hedges that provide pollen and nectar all year long to pollinators

To date, the program has led to a 20 percent reduction in pesticide use in Harmony fields, between 2009 and 2016¹. Harmony farmers in Europe have also sown 1,026 hectares of flowers around the Harmony fields and close to 17 million bees and over 30 species of butterflies have been observed in Harmony fields.

“Harmony is much more than an agreed set of sustainable wheat farming practices,” said Romeo Lacerda, President Biscuits, Mondelēz Europe. “It’s a movement that connects everyone involved in our supply chain with others seeking to increase the positive impact we can make on our environment and biodiversity. By bringing NGOs and farmers to work together, we can implement farming practices that are both effective and pragmatic. In doing so, we can act as a catalyst for positive change.”