New ConAgra Packaging Cuts Waste

ConAgra Foods is now incorporating post-consumer recycled plastic in its frozen meal trays, which will divert approximately eight million pounds of plastic from landfills to the recycling stream annually. The company has begun to use between 30 percent and 40 percent post-consumer recycled plastic in nearly all of its frozen meal trays for Healthy Choice, Banquet, Kid Cuisine and Marie Callender's products.

"Our commitment to innovation means we are looking at all aspects of our products as we consider new ways to improve them, including finding ways to be more environmentally responsible," says Gail Tavill, vice president, sustainability, ConAgra Foods. "As a leading packaged foods company, ConAgra Foods can make a positive impact on the environment by finding new ways to reduce waste, and our new frozen meal trays with post-consumer recycled plastic will ensure that the equivalent of 128 million 20-ounce plastic bottles won't go to landfills each year."

In addition to eliminating plastic, the new packaging will save an estimated 236 million BTUs of energy, which is enough energy to run 2,593 average American homes for one year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,200 tons of CO2 per year, which is the same as taking nearly 2,000 cars off the road each year.

ConAgra Foods partnered with Associated Packaging Technologies to utilize a new technology that cleans recycled plastic for use as a component in frozen meal trays. The new trays are approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.