sustainable development & our approach to packaging … · sustainable development & our...

Sustainable Development & Our approach to

Packaging for a Sustainable Future

Gail Tavill

07/12/2011

CorporateResponsibility

Published March 2009

Download ConAgra Foods’

2010 CR Report at

www.conagrafoods.com 2

http://www.conagrafoods.com/

How we view Corporate Responsibility…

CONAGRA FOODS MISSION/REPUTATIONFood you love

ConAgra Foods Operating Principles and GovernanceSimplicity | Accountability | Collaboration

Corporate Responsibility Themes

Good for you Food safety and quality

Sodium reduction

Obesity

Nutrition

Bio-tech foods

Labeling

Advertising and consumer education

Good for the community

Governance and ethics

Health & safety

Learning & development

Diversity & inclusion

Supplier code of conduct

Foundation efforts

Good for the planet

Climate & energy

Water resources

Solid Waste

Packaging Material sourcing

Transportation

Sustainable agriculture 3

PACKAGING

4

The Fundamental Functions of Packaging

5

Containment – of the PRODUCT to avoid

spills/waste and to facilitate use

Protection – of the PRODUCT from damage,

spoilage, tampering, etc.

Communication – of

PRODUCT attributes

Distribution – get the PRODUCT

from point A to point B

A Brief History of Modern Packaging

6

1920’s-1950’sSmall stores, bulk containers

and high levels of customer

service


7

1950’s-1980’sCanning boom of post-war era evolving

to supermarket boom and the advent of

plastic packaging


8

TodayAverage stores have

>10,000 items to

choose from, everything

from apples to X-Box

games - complicating

the total system and

demanding more from

packaging materials

and technologies.

Our Philosophy on Packaging

Although packaging is widely regarded as a source of waste…

Considerably more PRODUCT spoilage & damage would occur

without it.

SO… it is absolutely CRITICAL to balance the need for

packaging to serve its function versus the desire reduce it

REMOVE Remove unnecessary packaging

REDUCE Source Reduce where possible

RECYCLE • Design for compatibility with Recycling Infrastructure

• Use Recycled Content where possible

RENEW • Use Renewable raw materials where appropriate

• Reduce reliance on non-Renewable resources

REUSE Use Returnable systems where appropriate

Strategically, and using lifecycle thinking, strive to improve packaging with focus on these 5 “Rs”

9

In April 2010, ConAgra Foods Announced Broad Sweeping

Sustainability Goals: Packaging being a key contributor

Remove • Reduce • Recycle • Renew • Reuse10

REMOVE

11

Marie Callender’s® Tray Consolidation

Key Environmental Metrics*:

Project Scope:Convert round-shaped frozen meal trays to oval-shaped trays, and commonize existing

oval tray footprints, improving pallet and transportation efficiency.

Brands Impacted:

Energy/CO2 Materials Waste

Energy

Reduction

Greenhouse

Gas

Reduction

Transportation

Efficiency

Source

Reduction

– Paper

Source

Reduction

- Plastic

Solid

Waste

Reduction

Waste

Water

Reduction

Absolute

Value /

year

33.5 billion

BTUs reduced

2,850 metric

tonnes of CO2

eliminated

840 truckloads

of finished

goods

eliminated

867 tons of

paper

saved

62 tons of

resin

eliminated

698 tons11 million

gallons

Consumer

Value /

year

Energy used by

368 average

American

homes

Emissions

from 545

passenger

cars

20,123

trees

50 garbage

trucks

17 Olympic

sized

swimming

pools

Updated 01/15/10

* The greenhouse gas reduction indicated above includes impacts from both source reduction and

from packaging material transportation efficiency improvement.

* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs, EPA’s Greenhouse Gas

Equivalencies Calculator, and Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator

REDUCE

13

MM Popcorn Optimization

Key Environmental Metrics:

Project Scope:Two phase project to reduce the carton height (phase 1, 2008) and the carton width (phase

2, 2009) across all retail sizes of Orville Redenbacher® and ACT II® microwave popcorn.

These changes allowed for substantial material source reduction and >25% warehousing

and transportation efficiency improvement.

Brands Impacted:

Energy/CO2 Materials Water

Energy

Reduction

Greenhouse

Gas Reduction

Transportation

Efficiency

Source

Reduction

Paper Process

Waste Water

Absolute

Value / year

86.8 Billion BTUs

reduced

6,998 tons of

CO2 eliminated

562 Truckloads

eliminated

10.4 million lbs

of paper

39.4 million

gallons saved

Consumer

Value / year

Energy used by

954 average

American homes

Emissions from

1271 passenger

cars

~370 average

garbage trucks

~60 Olympic

sized swimming

pools

* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs and the Environmental

Defense Fund’s Paper CalculatorUpdated 07/6/11

Banquet® Tray Gram Weight Reduction


Project Scope:Reduce gram weight of single-compartment tray from 23 g to 21g.

Brands Impacted:

Energy/CO2 Materials Waste

Energy ReductionGreenhouse Gas

Reduction

Source

Reduction -

Plastic

Solid

Waste

Reduction

Absolute

Value / year

12.4 Billion BTUs

reduced

482 metric tonnes

of CO2 eliminated

419,000 lb of

resin eliminated59,000 lb

Consumer

Value / year

Energy used by 137

average American

homes

Emissions from 92

passenger cars

2 garbage

trucks

Updated 01/15/10

* The greenhouse gas reduction indicated above includes impacts from both source reduction and

from transportation efficiency improvement.

* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs and EPA’s Greenhouse

Gas Equivalencies Calculator

Poppycock® Bags Case Redesign


Project Scope:Poppycock® cases were redesigned to simplify and optimize the package. This resulted in

a reduction of corrugated used as well as an increase in pallet efficiency.

This went into production in December 2008.

Brands Impacted:

Energy/CO2 Materials Water

Energy Greenhouse

Gas

Source

Reduction

Waste Water

Reduction

Absolute

Value /year

3.78 Billion BTUs 760,176 lbs of

CO2

264,809

pounds

492,369 gallons

Consumer

Value / year

Energy to power

41 Average

American Homes

Emissions from

69 passenger

cars

9 garbage

trucks

Nearly a full

Olympic sized

swimming pool

* All calculations are based upon the Environmental Defense Funds’ Paper Calculator

Graphics subject to change

Updated 05/19/09

David® Seeds Round to Square Tub


Project Scope:Convert the David® Seeds bulk tubs from a standard round tub to a square tub,

dramatically improving pallet efficiency. Also implement a “diamond” pattern in the tub

walls to maximize compression strength while minimizing gram weight.

Launched January 2009.

Brands Impacted:

Energy/CO2 Materials

Energy

Reduction

Greenhouse

Gas Reduction

Transport

Efficiency

Source

Reduction

Absolute

Value /

year

7.1 billion BTUs 363 tons CO2 162 Trucks

eliminated

259,480 pounds

polypropylene

eliminated

Consume

r Value /

year

Energy for 79

average

American Homes

Emissions from

66 passenger

cars

31% reduction

Updated 05/19/09* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs

Peter Pan® Redesign 3 Jar Sizes


Project Scope:Redesigned the Peter Pan® 16.3 oz, 28 oz and 40 oz jars to reduce gram weight on the jars

and on the closures (caps). The jars are made from PET (#1 plastic), the caps are

Polypropylene (#5 plastic).

* The energy savings below are strictly related to the source reductions, they do not include any impacts from transportation efficiency improvements

Brands Impacted:


Energy Reduction Greenhouse Gas

Reduction

Source Reduction

Absolute

Value /

year

22.8 billion BTUs 961 tons CO2 353 tons of packaging (PET,

Polypropylene & Paper)

Consume

r Value /

year

Energy used by

256 Average

American Homes

Emissions from

233 passenger

cars

25 garbage trucks

* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs and the Environmental

Defense Fund’s Paper Calculator


Updated 05/19/09

RENEW

19

Post-Industrial Recycled PLA for Tamper Bands and Shrink Sleeves


Project Scope:Convert PVC and PETg shrink packaging to PLA for all tablespreads tubs, Healthy Choice

Fresh Mixers, Marie Callender’s Home-Style Creations, Reddi-Wip twin packs, Wesson

twin packs and PAM twin packs. PLA is a bio-polymer made from corn vs. traditional

plastics made from fossil fuels. This project also incorporates a significant use (up to 60%)

of post-industrial recycled content PLA, a technical breakthrough in PLA development.

ConAgra is the first in the world to use this recycled content PLA material.

Project implementation began May 2009 and will be completed by early 2010.

Brands Impacted:

CO2/Energy Materials

Energy Reduction Greenhouse Gas

Reduction

Solid Waste

Reduction

Source Reduction

Absolute Value /

year

2.2 billion BTUs 591,000 lbs CO2 36,936 lbs Eliminated 263,613

lbs of PVC resin

Consumer Value /

year

Energy used by 24

American homes

Emissions from 51

passenger cars

~1.5 garbage trucks

* Numbers based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition's Technical Briefs and the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator Updated 01//05/10

http://www.healthychoice.com/

RECYCLE

21

DiamondClear


Project Scope:Redesign the Hunt’s® ketchup bottle to move from a multi-layer bottle (PET/EVOH/PET) to

a mono-layer bottle (PET) with an oxygen scavenger. Simplifying the structure creates the

first ketchup bottle that is truly compatible with the existing recycling stream and has

enabled a reduction in gram weight. The closure was also optimized and light weighted.

This technology has been recognized with a 2007 AmeriStar Award in the 3M Sustainability

Category and a 2008 WorldStar Award for Food Packaging.

Brands Impacted:


Energy Greenhouse

Gas

Source

Reduction

Air

Emission

Absolute

Value / year

42.2

billion

BTUs

2,223 tons

CO2

1.4MM lbs of

plastic

523 tons

Consumer

Value, year

Energy

for 465

Avg.

homes

Emissions

from 402

passenger

cars

50 garbage

trucks

* All calculations based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalitions technical briefs and

the Environmental Defense Fund’s Paper Calculator


Original

Construction

New

Construction

PET

PET

EVOH

Updated 05/19/09

Post Consumer Recycled PET in CPET Trays

Key Environmental Savings:

Project Scope:Include 8MM pounds annually of rPET into CPET trays across most of the tray designs used for our frozen

meal brands, qualified on some trays up to 40%. ConAgra Foods is the first company in North America to

implement this technology. This launched nationwide, June of 2008 and has been recognized with a 2008-

9 AmeriStar Award for Food Packaging, a 2009 DuPont Award for Packaging Innovation, a 2009 Greener

Package Award and a 2009 ConAgra Foods Sustainable Development Award. It was also featured as the

cover story of the November 2008 issue of Packaging Digest Magazine.

Brands Impacted:

Energy / CO2 Materials Water

Energy

Savings

Greenhouse

Gas Savings

Reduced

Air

Emissions

Waste Water

Reduction

Absolute

Value /

year

236 billion

BTUs

15,200 tons

CO2

11,200 tons 4,750 gallons

Consumer

Value /

year

Energy for

2,600

homes

Emissions from

2,500

passenger cars

* Values based upon Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Technical Briefs

Updated 11/16/09

SUMMARY

24

25

Food for Thought…• Food vs Fuel (& bio-resins)

• Biotechnology

• Nanotechnology

• Packaging vs. Food Waste

• Waste-to-Energy (Incineration)

• BPA / Chemo-phobia

• Greenwashing / Eco-Logos

• Oxo-degradable

• Compostable

• What is sustainable food?

• Others?

Thank You!

26

sustainable development & our approach to packaging … · sustainable development & our...

Documents