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Long Term Return: Recycling’s Role in
Corporate Sustainability Goals
2011 SERCD SymposiumOctober 26, 2011
Gail Tavill
who is ConAgra Foods?
ConAgra Foods started in 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills. In 1971 it was renamed ConAgra, Inc., and the company became ConAgra Foods in 2000.
ConAgra Foods is a Fortune 500 company with more than 24,000 employees, with the company’s world headquarters located in Omaha, Nebraska
In fiscal year 2010, ConAgra Foods brought in $12+ billion in net sales.
you may know us…
Corporate Responsibility
Download our 2011 report at:http://thomson.mobular.net/thomson/7/3004/4534/
Where Does Recycling Fit In?
Our Pillars of Corporate Responsibility
CONAGRA FOODS MISSION/REPUTATIONFood you love
ConAgra Foods Operating Principles and GovernanceSimplicity | Accountability | Collaboration | Imagination
Corporate Responsibility Themes
Good for youFood safety & qualitySodium reductionObesityNutrition Bio-tech foods
Labeling Advertising & consumer education
Good for the community
Governance and ethicsHealth & safetyLearning & developmentDiversity & inclusionSupplier code of conductFoundation efforts
Good for the planet
Climate & energyWater resources
Solid WastePackagingMaterial sourcingTransportationSustainable agriculture
The Fundamentals of Packaging
Containment – of the PRODUCT to avoid spills/waste and to facilitate use
Protection – of the PRODUCT from damage, spoilage, tampering, etc.
Communication – ofPRODUCT attributes
Distribution – get the PRODUCT from point A to point B
A Brief History of Modern Packaging
10
1920’s-1950’s Small stores, bulk containers and high levels of customer service
A Brief History of Modern Packaging
11
1950’s-1980’s Canning boom of post-war era evolving to supermarket boom and the advent of plastic packaging
A Brief History of Modern Packaging
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 would be wasted without it.
So… we embrace the value of packaging and strive to maximize that value to its fullest potential
REMOVE Remove unnecessary packaging or complexity
REDUCE Source reduce raw materials where possible
RECYCLE • PUSH: Design for compatibility with Recycling Infrastructure• PULL: 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”
Examples…
REDUCED 2 Million Pounds of Packaging
260,000 pounds of RENEWABLE Material
Approved for up to 40% PCR rPET
Better Compatibility with bottle-to-bottle recycling
TraditionalPassive Barrier
New Active Barrier
PET w/oxygen scavenger
PET EVOH
Challenges for Recycling…
end-of-life scenarios
“RECYCLING” Message Confusion
Other End-of-Life messages add to confusion
Our Strategy to Simplify Communication
This carton is made from 100% recycled fiber
This carton is recyclable
This carton is made from 100% recycled fiber and is recyclable
Cross-Sector Collaboration…
• more conversations between government & industry• heightened awareness and education• learning how to better engage and collaborate• changing the dynamic of how we influence & operate
