Mondelēz Invests in Circular Economy Solutions in Australia
Mondelēz International joined forces with leaders in the packaging supply chain to further advance a circular economy for plastic packaging in Australia. Together with Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, the company is investing in advanced recycling technology pioneer Licella.
The investments will help Licella progress construction of one of the first advanced recycling facilities in Australia. Licella will use its innovative Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR) technology to recycle end-of-life plastic back into a crude oil substitute suitable to produce new food-grade plastic packaging.
Cat-HTR is an advanced hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology, which uses hot, pressurized water to continuously recycle end-of-life plastic that would otherwise be sent to landfill. The new Australian facility, called Advanced Recycling Victoria (ARV), is anticipated to initially process about 20,000 tons per year of end-of-life plastic, with plans to scale up to 120,000 tons per year. Through Amcor, Mondelēz International expects to have access to recycled content from this site to meet much of its Australian soft plastic packaging needs, significantly reducing its need for virgin plastic in Australia.
“While plastic plays an important part in the security, quality, protection and preservation of food products, there is a gap in sustainable local recycling solutions,” says Christine Montenegro McGrath, Senior Vice President and Chief Global Impact and Sustainability Officer at Mondelēz International.
“Our packaging strategy is focused on using better packaging and helping to build better systems,” said McGrath. “This investment brings together multiple stakeholders in the supply chain to scale the infrastructure and technology needed to help create a more sustainable future for plastics and is part of our longer-term focus on working toward our goal of net-zero packaging waste by supporting circular economies.”