Chicago, Illinois, USA-headquartered Conagra Brands has announced it will strive toward making 100% of its current plastic packaging renewable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. This goal accompanies current efforts to reduce the overall use of plastic and is part of the company’s broader commitment to “shaping a better planet,” one of the four pillars of Conagra’s corporate social responsibility and ESG efforts.
“We are committed to being a caretaker of the environment,” said Katya Hantel, director, sustainable development for Conagra Brands. “As part of this commitment, we are constantly challenging ourselves to more sustainably source packaging materials, generate less waste for disposal and help preserve our planet and its resources.”
Packaging serves a critical role in maintaining both food freshness and safety, but waste from plastic packaging is a growing issue. With the introduction of its sustainable packaging goal, the company is committed to producing packaging that takes environmental impacts into account while continuing to ensure food quality and safety. The aim is to reduce waste derived from packaging through thoughtful design and by using renewable and more readily recyclable or compostable materials.
Plant-based Bowls Since 2017
Conagra has already made progress against its sustainable packaging goal with the introduction of plant-based bowls in its line of frozen Healthy Choice Power Bowls products. Made from fiber, these bowls have helped the company avoid the use of more than 2.1 million pounds of plastic packaging since being introduced in 2017.
Over the next few years, the company aims to avoid the use of an additional 33 million pounds of plastic through further development of plant-based packaging options and other packaging innovations. Conagra also plans to ensure all packaging features a How2Recycle label to provide clarity to consumers, so that more materials are put into recycling bins.
“As a food company, packaging is an integral part of our product. That’s why we are committed to making packaging decisions with the environment in mind,” said Corey Berends, PhD., Conagra’s senior vice president for research and development. “We’ve set an ambitious goal and we look forward to working with our suppliers and others in the industry to identify innovative solutions that maintain food safety and freshness while also reducing our packaging footprint.”
