ConAgra Discusses Sustainable Packaging Initiatives

November 6, 2008

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Gail Tavil, ConAgra’s VP of sustainable development research, quality and innovation, recently spoke with Packaging Digest about the company’s sustainability programs.

Tavil says that in recent years, the company has focused more on optimizing existing product designs to make sustainable changes and training new product development packaging engineers on sustainable packaging design guidelines.

Hunt’s Ketchup project was one of its successful sustainable packaging projects. The project converted the ketchup bottle from multilayer EVOH barrier bottle to a monolayer bottle using an oxygen-scavenging technology.

ConAgra also switched Wesson oils from round bottles to rectangular bottles. The move led to a sustainability advantage in cube utilization on the shelf, in secondary packaging and in transport packaging. Tavil says on average, the company saved 30 to 40 percent in terms of transportation efficiencies.

Tavil would “like to see the Federal Trade Commission have more teeth to enforce its new green guidelines when they are published.” She may just see that as the FTC could move to establish legal precedents on green ad claims.

In August, ConAgra announced that it is incorporating between 30 to 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastic in its frozen meal trays. The move is expected to divert about 8 million pounds of plastic from landfills annually.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Survey Results: Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader