When it comes to sustainability, owner of the Cadbury brand, Mondelez International, puts a particular emphasis in Ireland on raw material sourcing and manufacturing processes that reduce environmental impact and use resources efficiently.
In becoming a verified member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme, the company set a goal for its Coolock, Co Dublin site, to reduce water consumption in 2013 by 15% on the 2010 baseline figure. This reduction and further improvements have been achieved.
Mondelez Ireland employs 940 people across three sites: Coolock, which manufactures finished chocolate products and provides commercial support services; Rathmore, Co Kerry, which manufactures chocolate crumb; and Tallaght, Co Dublin, which manufactures gum base and encapsulated sweeteners.
The largest of the three and established in 1956, Coolock is a key centre of activity supplying Cadbury chocolate brands to the Irish, UK and European markets, and is committed to diverting all waste from landfill by the end of 2014, according to its Origin Green charter.
Mondelez International is a global leader in chocolate, biscuits, gum, sweets, coffee and powdered beverages, with global brands including Cadburys, Milka chocolate, Kenco coffee, Belvita biscuits and Philadelphia cheese.
Being part of Origin Green complements the company’s global ambitions in relation to sustainability, according to corporate affairs manager at Mondelez Ireland Deirdre Harte.
“Mondelez International’s wellbeing/sustainability strategy identifies four key areas of impact and importance to the company: the safety of its people and products; the need to secure sustainable agricultural supplies and reduce environmental footprint; partnership in sustainable community relationships; and empowerment of consumers to make balanced snacking choices,” she explained.
“These themes are aligned with Origin Green ambitions and we are delighted to be part of a programme that promotes sustainable behavior as a cornerstone of Irish business.”
A member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Mondelez International is also one of over 50 global members of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative platform and is actively embedding sustainability into its sourcing practices.
Global goals in this regard include plans to ensure all cocoa is ultimately sustainably sourced, with 70% of global coffee to be sustainably sourced by 2015 (up from 56% in 2013).
The company’s sustainability credentials were well established in Ireland before it joined Origin Green.
For example, in Coolock, it has invested heavily in modern plant and equipment to help improve efficiency and reduce waste. In 2007 the site was granted an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) licence and it also holds a Green House Gas Permit.
There is an emphasis on local sourcing, with the Rathmore site sourcing around 80 million litres of milk from local cooperatives, which supports sustainable farming practices and has helped them in their progress to Origin Green membership.
In April of this year, Mondelez International announced a US$5m investment in the Rathmore site, to install a new milk evaporator in order to improve competitiveness, and to reduce use of fuel oil to deliver environmental benefits.
All of its Irish sites support social sustainability through community and charity partnerships, with organisations such as Barnardos Ireland and Northside Partnership, and it is targeting a 30% employee volunteering rate under the company’s Origin Green charter.
“We prioritise sustainability as part of our integrated business strategy. From the milk farmers in Munster, the cocoa farms in Ghana who grow Fairtrade cocoa for Cadbury Dairy Milk, to the customers and consumers in our communities, we make sustainability a reality,” said Patrick Miskelly, manufacturing director of Mondelez Ireland.
“We have already achieved significant positive change in Ireland – but we have a lot more goals to achieve – and partnering with Origin Green will help us to achieve these ambitions.”