Plastic is a valuable resource because it provides protection and safety, particularly for food. But when post-consumer plastic waste is not diverted from nature, this resource is not able to reach its full potential for reuse and repurpose. Instead, a significant portion may unfortunately find their way into environments where they shouldn’t be.

Globally and across the Philippines, challenges persist in waste collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure. Buried waste in landfills can release greenhouse gases, plastic pollution that leaks into oceans may harm marine life and human health, and littering landscapes impact ecosystems. This reality underscores the urgent need for comprehensive solutions.

Ensuring that plastic packaging is effectively recovered and repurposed requires a robust system and collaborative effort that extends beyond the household bin. Recognizing this, snack company Mondelēz International is actively investing in solutions and partnerships focused on reducing plastic use and improving the collection and recovery of these materials, moving beyond traditional recycling limitations to ensure they find new purpose. It has partnered with PCX Markets since 2023 to help recover and divert the equivalent amount of its annual post-consumer plastic packaging introduced into the Philippine market.

“Recovery only becomes possible when consumers, communities, companies, waste workers, and government all participate in systems that allow plastic to be collected, diverted, and processed responsibly,” Aleli Arcilla, managing director of Mondelez International in the Philippines, says.

The partnership with PCX Markets supports Republic Act 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022. The law requires large companies to be involved in the collection of the post-consumer plastic packaging they introduce into the market through the products they sell. It aims to strengthen plastic recovery and diversion systems in the country and accelerate the shift toward a more circular economy by involving all stakeholders in the change. The company’s efforts have been recognized through the Plastic Cleanup Partner badge, a recognition given to organizations supporting sustained and verified plastic recovery and diversion initiatives.

However, the company emphasizes that plastic recovery cannot be solved by certifications or compliance alone. “What we have learned is that collection is often the hardest part of the equation,” Arcilla says. “Even the best intentions cannot succeed without accessible systems, community participation, and strong partnerships on the ground.”

To help strengthen plastic recovery efforts at the community level, Mondelēz International supports initiatives such as Trash Right, its environmental education and plastic collection program with Save Philippine Seas. The program has engaged public elementary schools in Parañaque City to help educate students and teachers about waste segregation, recovery and environmental responsibility.

The Company also supports the YouTube series “Miming and Friends,” which has videos tackling sustainability issues in a simple and understandable way, to engage children and their families into being part of the solution for waste management problems.

Further, the company supports collection of plastics through the Aling Tindera program, which provides homeowners in Parañaque City an accessible way to ensure the plastic they segregate at home gets properly diverted and reused.

In 2025 through its two sponsored community collection sites, the company was able to help divert away from nature and repurpose 24,000 kilograms of plastic waste. This was accomplished in partnership with the organization HOPE.

In January, the company was recognized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for complying with and supporting the EPR Law.

Internally, the company has also implemented its zero waste to landfill commitment in its Parañaque manufacturing plant since 2022 and has proper waste segregation in its commercial office.

Globally, Mondelēz International continues to work toward reducing virgin plastic use and designing more of its packaging for recyclability as part of its broader Sustainable Snacking strategy. As of the end of 2025, globally, some 96 percent of the company’s product packaging is designed to be recyclable. For the same year, the company surpassed its goal to reduce virgin plastic use by 5 percent versus 2020 and achieved a reduction of approximately 11.5 percent.

For Mondelēz International, the bigger goal is not simply compliance with the EPR law but helping contribute to practical and scalable systems that prevent plastic waste from leaking into the environment.

“The future of plastic recovery will depend on whether we can build systems that people can realistically participate in every day,” says Arcilla. “Solving plastic waste will require shared accountability, continuous innovation, and collaboration across sectors. No single organization can do it alone.