New Marabou chocolate wrappers use chemically recycled plastics through a certified mass balance approach, advancing circular packaging for food applications.
LyondellBasell (LYB) has partnered with Mondelez International, Amcor, and Taghleef Industries to introduce a new flexible packaging solution for Marabou chocolate bars made using recycled plastic. The collaboration marks an important step in advancing circular packaging by converting difficult-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality, food-grade packaging materials.
The new packaging incorporates LYB CirculenRevive™ polymers produced through an ISCC PLUS-certified mass balance process. While the polymers are attributed with 100% recycled feedstock, the finished Marabou packaging contains 75% recycled content, helping reduce the use of virgin fossil-based plastics without compromising food packaging performance or safety.
The project demonstrates how advanced chemical recycling can transform mixed plastic waste that is traditionally difficult to recycle into premium packaging materials suitable for food-contact applications. This approach expands recycling opportunities for flexible plastics, one of the most challenging packaging formats to recover through conventional mechanical recycling.
The initiative is the result of close collaboration across the packaging value chain. LYB supplies the recycled circular polymers, Taghleef Industries manufactures the base film, and Amcor converts the material into the finished flexible packaging used by Mondelez for its Marabou chocolate products. The partners say this integrated approach demonstrates how collaboration can accelerate the transition toward a circular plastics economy.
Looking ahead, LYB plans to strengthen its supply of recycled polymers through its MoReTec-1 catalytic chemical recycling plant under construction in Wesseling, Germany. Once operational, the facility is designed to produce 50,000 metric tonnes of recycled feedstock annually, supporting the production of circular polymers for food packaging and other high-performance applications. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced in part from Source One Plastics, LYB’s joint venture that processes mixed plastic waste into material suitable for chemical recycling.
The packaging innovation also supports the European Union’s circular economy objectives and helps prepare the industry for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which introduces higher recycled-content expectations for packaging. By demonstrating that chemically recycled plastics can meet stringent food-contact requirements, the project highlights the growing role of advanced recycling technologies in achieving packaging sustainability goals.
The collaboration reflects increasing momentum among global packaging and consumer goods companies to incorporate recycled plastics into food packaging without compromising quality or safety. By combining chemical recycling, certified mass balance accounting, and cross-industry collaboration, LYB and Mondelez are helping establish scalable solutions that reduce plastic waste while supporting the transition to a more circular and resource-efficient packaging industry.