1. Recycling’s Role in Corporate Sustainability Goals
Long Term Return: 
Recycling’s Role in Corporate Sustainability Goals
2011 SERCD Symposium
October 26, 2011
Gail Tavill

2. 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.

3. you may know us…

4. Download our 2011 report at:
Corporate Responsibility
Download our 2011 report at:

5. Where Does Recycling Fit In?

6. Corporate Responsibility Themes
Our Pillars of Corporate Responsibility
CONAGRA FOODS MISSION/REPUTATION
Food you love
ConAgra Foods Operating Principles and Governance
Simplicity | Accountability | Collaboration | Imagination
Corporate Responsibility Themes
Good for you
Food safety & quality
Sodium reduction
Obesity
Nutrition
Bio-tech foods
Labeling
Advertising & 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

7. Food

8. No trade offs to performance, quality or cost
Next, examples of what CAG has done in support of these goals

9. 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.
Distribution – get the PRODUCT from point A to point B
Communication – of
PRODUCT attributes

10. A Brief History of Modern Packaging
1920’s-1950’s
Small stores, bulk containers and high levels of customer service 10

11. A Brief History of Modern Packaging
1950’s-1980’s
Canning boom of post-war era evolving to supermarket boom and the advent of plastic packaging 11

12. A Brief History of Modern Packaging
Today
Average 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.

13. 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
Strategically, and using lifecycle thinking, strive to improve packaging with focus on these 5 “Rs”
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

14. Examples…

15. REDUCED 2 Million Pounds of Packaging

16. 260,000 pounds of RENEWABLE Material

17. Approved for up to 40% PCR rPET

18. Better Compatibility with bottle-to-bottle recycling
PET
EVOH
PET w/oxygen scavenger
Traditional
Passive
Barrier
New
Active
Barrier

19. Challenges for Recycling…

20. end-of-life scenarios
Must be mindful of downstream impacts as well
Just because it’s recyclable, doesn’t mean it gets recycled
Educating consumers is key to increasing recycling rates – we have a long way to go
end-of-life scenarios

21. “RECYCLING” Message Confusion

22. Other End-of-Life messages add to confusion

23. 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

24. 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
Discussions around EPR and waste / recycling legislation – some people are alarmed, but we see it as a good thing
regulatory activity has fostered more conversation between industry, government and trade organizations
GMA sustainability working group

25. Thank you! Gail Tavill Gail.Tavill@conagrafoods.com ConAgra Foods
More information in our corporate responsibility report
New one comes out next month