Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) and CircleSquare today unveiled a sustainable design scorecard to encourage the use of more sustainable point-of-sale materials in the travel retail industry.
The initiative aims to assist brand owners, retailers and airports in lowering their environmental impact through a Sustainable DNA Rating system that encourages the choice of more authentic materials and considerate construction methods, along with manufacturing decisions that allow for in-store units to be more easily recycled at the end of life.
The scorecard was born from a collaboration that first quantified the impact of the confectionery category leader’s retail units and then identified areas for improvement. Following this process, Mondelez WTR and CircleSquare have implemented a sustainability framework that will drive their design decisions and pushes towards more sustainable retail practices. They are sharing the scorecard with the channel to support the industry’s transformation towards a greener future.
Mondelez World Travel Retail Head of Customer Marketing Richard Houseago said: “At Mondelez WTR, we are committed to offering products that are right for people and planet, but also to collaborating with other stakeholders in the industry to ensure that we are not just talking about being better, but actually doing better. Travel retail is a channel with very specific in-store activation requirements, and for good reason.
“Through the Sustainable DNA Rating scorecard, we hope to help role model in-store activation practices that are kinder for the planet. This initiative demonstrates what we can achieve through closer collaboration and aligning in common goals for the greater good, and we’re proud to share the inspiring result alongside our fantastic partners at CircleSquare.”
CircleSquare Executive Creative Director and Founding Partner Philip Handley added: “CircleSquare is renowned for coming up with cutting-edge creative solutions for brands but this revolutionary new sustainability framework might be the most game-changing solution we have ever delivered. We count ourselves extremely fortunate to have worked in partnership with the inspirational and visionary team at Mondelez WTR.
“The brilliant results we can now share with the travel retail community, have only been made possible through our joint ambition, genuine collaboration and our shared desire to look after our precious and delicate planet. What is particularly exciting is this is only the beginning of what our partnership can achieve together.”
The rating system considers four environmental impact criteria for each material used in the design implementation process: Recyclability (ease of which it can be recycled), Reusability, (ease of which it can be reused), Manufacture & Availability (environmental impact of manufacture and ease of procurement) and End of life (environmental impact at point of disposal).
Each component material is scored out of five against the criteria to deliver an average rating that provides a comparable score and an understanding of the sustainable credentials of a retail unit to guide greener choices.
Mondelez WTR and CircleSquare have applied the Sustainable DNA Rating in their approach to the new Toblerone redesign in-store.
In assessing previous units, the partners used the scorecard to look at how they could: reduce or remove plastics entirely; increase the quantity of biodegradable or raw materials, metals and wood; promote the use of mechanical fixings to replace glue bonds; and reduce power consumption where possible.
In addition to the DNA rating system, the partners are tracking, upcycling and repurposing existing POS material to prolong life and encourage circularity while also innovating with new technologies to reduce their environmental footprint. These in-store initiatives form part of a broader sustainability roadmap that Mondelez WTR is progressing that comprises corporate-wide and industry-specific commitments.
The confectionery company’s key areas of focus also include: developing more ethical promotional activities that embed sustainability in their in-store brand engagement; the ingredients for their products; as well as packaging innovation and recyclability.
Some 99% of Mondelez WTR’s travel retail chocolate product portfolio currently uses cocoa that is sustainably sourced through the Cocoa Life programme, with the ambition of achieving 100% by 2025. The majority (93.3%) of its product packaging is already designed to be recyclable, with Toblerone already achieving the 100% recyclability target and the remainder on track to be recyclable or recycle-ready by 2025.
The Sustainable DNA Rating scorecard can be downloaded here.
