Del Monte Foods Inc. is reducing the footprint of its packaging by investing in new materials and redesigning existing materials.
Since 2009, the company has been reducing its use of plastics and metal, according to a news release. Today, about 4% of its packaging by weight contains any plastics; the rest is fully recyclable steel, glass or paper based.
Also, despite increasing sales volume, Del Monte Foods has eliminated the use of 11.4 million pounds of plastic and 34.5 million pounds of metal since 2009, according to the release.
Packaging goals
Del Monte Foods is working to develop a compostable fruit cup as well as beverage and fruit cups that contain post-consumer recycled content. Goals include:
By 2025:
- Include 25% recycled content into plastic packaging once recycled polypropylene supply is available and FDA approval is received; and
- Add How2Recycle®icons to 100% of packaging.
By 2030:
- Convert plastic packaging to 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable.
History of sustainable packaging
For 130-plus years, most of Del Monte Foods products have been packed in steel cans, which have the highest recycling rate of any material. The company ships and protects products in corrugate, which contains 33% recycled content. The paper-based products are 100% certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or Forest Stewardship Council. Also, the company participates in the How2Recycle initiative of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition to inform consumers how to correctly recycle the company’s recyclable packaging.
As members of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and Consumer Brands Association, we advocate for improving recycling infrastructure and exploring new packaging options that are more widely recyclable and use a higher proportion of recycled content.
Learn more about Del Monte Foods’ commitment to sustainable packaging and Environmental & Social Governance efforts here.
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