News

As You Sow assisting Mondelez International and PepsiCo to cut Virgin Plastic

Mondelez International and PepsiCo have agreed to decrease the use of virgin plastic in their packaging as part of a larger goal to eliminate single use plastic in their operations.

This follows an engagement both companies had with As Your Sow, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building and legal strategies.

“We are pleased to announce agreement by two of the companies we filed proposals with to cut their use of virgin plastic used for packaging,” said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow.

Mondelez has set a 2025 goal to reduce virgin plastic; this goal will see a five per cent absolute reduction in virgin plastic across all packaging and 25 per cent cut in virgin plastic in rigid plastic packaging. This change is expected to reduce 10,000 tons of virgin plastic packaging.

The goal is to be achieved through eliminating single use plastic material, focusing on redesigning packaging while increasing recycled content in flexible and rigid plastics and exploring a reuse model of operation.

PepsiCo is still assessing the size of the cuts it will make and is expected to announce its goal later in 2021. In 2019, PepsiCo agreed to cut virgin plastic by 35 per cent by 2025 with this change influencing company sectors like the snacks and foods decision, such as Quaker oats.

Similarly to Mondelez, PepsiCo plans to implement this change through changing packaging design, developing a reuse business model and increasing recycled content.

“We look forward to other companies stepping forward to make similar commitments, and making bolder, larger absolute cuts in overall plastic packaging,” said MacKerron.

Send this to a friend