Mondelēz and Amcor have signed investment agreements to help Licella progress construction of its advanced recycling facility.
Licella, advanced recycling technology pioneers, will use its Australian developed 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.
The new Melbourne facility, called Advanced Recycling Victoria (ARV), will initially process roughly 20,000 tonnes per annum of end-of-life plastic, with plans to scale up to 120,000 tonnes per annum.
By partnering with Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, Mondelēz International will 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.
Dr Len Humphreys, CEO of Licella, said the investment from Mondelēz and Amcor ANZ has come at a crucial time in the progression of the ARV project and will help it advance to the next stage of viability.
“This is the leading technology of its kind globally and this project will be a key lever for companies to deliver on the national sustainable packaging targets as demand for sustainable plastic solutions grows here and overseas.”
Darren O’Brien, President of Mondelēz Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, said they’re on a mission to becoming the most sustainable snacking company in Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re committed to taking the lead and responding to our consumers who we know want their soft plastic wrappers to be recycled again and again. We set new ground when we sourced the equivalent of 30 per cent recycled content for our Cadbury family blocks but our ambitions are much greater than this.”
Mike Cash, President of Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific, said they’re excited to be joining forces with Licella and Mondelēz to enable the local production of innovative packaging made from local end-of-life plastic.
“Amcor will be able to meet increasing customer demand for recycled content in the region with this investment, as well as take another step closer to achieving our target of 30 per cent recycled content across Amcor’s portfolio by 2030.”
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