Mondelēz WTR highlights progress across its sustainability agenda

By Naomi Chadderton | Tuesday, 2 June 2026 20:29

Mondelēz World Travel Retail (WTR) has highlighted significant progress across its sustainability agenda, following the publication of Mondelēz International’s 2025 sustainability report, Snacking Made Right.

The update showcases advances in key areas including sustainable ingredient sourcing, climate action, packaging innovation and supply chain efficiency, with many of the achievements directly supporting the company’s travel retail operations.

Among the most notable developments is progress in sustainable packaging. Mondelēz International reports that approximately 96% of its packaging is now designed to be recyclable, while virgin plastic use has been reduced by 11.5% compared with 2020 levels. Recycled content across the packaging portfolio reached 3.7% by 2025, while gifting chocolate trays across brands including Milka, Marabou and Suchard now contain up to 80% recycled plastic, eliminating around 850 metric tonnes of virgin plastic.

The company has also continued to strengthen its responsible sourcing credentials. Today, 100% of the cocoa volume used across its chocolate business is sourced through the Cocoa Life programme, which supports more than 257,000 registered farmers across eight cocoa-producing countries. The initiative underpins key travel retail brands including Toblerone, Cadbury and Milka, at a time when consumers are increasingly interested in the provenance and sustainability credentials of the products they purchase.

Climate action remains another priority area. Mondelēz International has reduced greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 21% versus its 2018 baseline, placing the business more than halfway towards its near-term target of a 35% reduction. The company noted that sustainability progress across its wider operations also benefits the travel retail channel, which forms part of the same global value chain.

Efforts to improve supply chain efficiency have also continued. The company highlighted that all European biscuit wheat is now sourced through its Harmony sustainability programme, which involves around 1,200 farmers, cooperatives and millers across 56,800 hectares of farmland and supports biodiversity initiatives benefiting an estimated 6.7 million bees and 27 butterfly species.

Meanwhile, the company’s focus on mindful snacking continues to shape product development. In 2025, 94% of net revenue came from mindful portion snacks, defined as individually wrapped products containing 200 calories or less or carrying mindful portion labelling. Within travel retail, this is reflected in formats such as the Converter range, designed to support gifting, sharing and controlled indulgence in a single pack.

Commenting on the progress, Mondelēz WTR Vice President & Managing Director Joost Rosmuller said sustainability is becoming increasingly intertwined with premiumisation in travel retail. “In travel retail, premium isn’t just how a product looks on shelf – it’s how it’s made, how it’s sourced, and what it leaves behind,” he said. “When a traveller picks up one of our products as a gift, they’re handing over a story – and increasingly, they want that story to include how the cocoa was sourced and how the packaging was made.

“For us, ‘Destination: Value’ means delivering products that are worth choosing, not just for what’s inside, but for what stands behind them. Sustainability and desirability aren’t trade-offs – they’re the same thing.”

The update reflects Mondelēz WTR’s ongoing strategy to integrate sustainability into every stage of the shopper journey, while supporting consumer demand for more responsible products across the global travel retail channel.

The full 2025 Snacking Made Right Report can be accessed here.

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