Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) announced that it achieved its corporate goal of reducing 150 million pounds of packaging material two years ahead of schedule.
The giant food company said cutting packaging in the product design phase is the most effective method. To do that, the Kraft developed the Packaging Eco-Calculator–a tool that helps packaging developers create efficient and optimized packaging.
In the U.S., the Oscar Mayer Deli Creations packaging was redesigned with 30% less paperboard which is expected to keep 1.2 million pounds (more than 500,000 kilograms) of packaging out of landfills per year. Kraft says consumers like the new package because it’s smaller, convenient and takes up less shelf space, while the amount of product remains the same.
In Europe, the removal of packaging layers for Milka chocolate bars resulted in 60% less weight and an elimination of 5.7 million pounds (2,600 metric tons) of packaging material per year. And Kraft said it is spreading the design to markets in Latin America.
In Australia, Kraft Salad Dressing bottles were redesigned to eliminate more than 100,000 pounds (45,000 kilograms) of plastic per year. The patented design differentiates the Kraft brand from competitors and allows more bottles to ship per truckload.
Kraft said it also focused on the type of materials used in an effort to increase recycled content and recyclability of the packaging for its products.
In the United Kingdom, Kraft Foods recently began selling Kenco coffee in refill bags to complement glass jars. The refill bags use 97% less packaging material by weight than a new jar, and less energy in the packaging conversion process.
In North America, Kraft Foods recently changed its Maxwell House, Yuban and Nabob coffee brands from steel cans to composite paperboard that weighs 30% less, uses 50% recycled content and is expected to eliminate 8.5 million pounds (3.9 million kilograms) of packaging.
In 2008, Kraft Foods started partnering with TerraCycle, an innovative company that "upcycles" material that otherwise would’ve gone to a landfill. TerraCycle reuses packaging to make new, useful products. Earlier this week TerraCycle announced the first recycling program from pens and markers.
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