ConAgra Foods Conserves 97 Million Gallons of Water, Optimizes Packaging to Save 15 Million Pounds of Material, & Eliminates ...
March 11 2015 - 11:23AM
Business Wire
82 Sustainable Development projects reduce
water, waste, energy and costs
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) announced the winners of its
2015 Sustainable Development Awards yesterday, an internal awards
program that drives and rewards imaginative approaches to
sustainability and produces bottom line business results. The 82
entries received this year collectively:
- Eliminated waste by 58,700 tons
- Optimized and improved packaging, while
using 15 million pounds less material
- Conserved more than 97 million gallons
of water
- And reduced greenhouse gas emissions by
more than 11,500 metric tons;
Delivering more than $70 million in savings, these projects
exhibit the economic value of a company’s commitment to sustainable
development. This year’s applications amounted to the largest
single year savings the company has seen to date. Many of these
applications were driven by the imagination and engagement of
employees. The awards program recognizes that employees can make a
big impact by coming together to do what’s right for both the
environment and the business.
ConAgra Foods started the Sustainable Development Awards program
in 1992 to encourage and reward employees to find ways to eliminate
waste, save water and reduce energy through process innovation and
engagement. Winning teams are each awarded a $5,000 grant from the
ConAgra Foods Foundation to apply toward a sustainability-focused
community service project in their area.
“It's exciting because ConAgra Foods' program continues to
evolve year over year. We're driving engagement across all levels
of employees at multiple locations, while challenging teams to
collaborate in new ways” said Gail Tavill, vice president of
Packaging and Sustainable Productivity at ConAgra Foods. “One
example is our focus on reducing the amount of waste generated
across our operations. Getting the most out of natural resources
while continuing to look for new ways to operate more sustainably
is a team effort that can have a positive impact on the environment
and our bottom line.”
2015 WinnersClimate
Change & Energy Efficiency – ConAgra Foods’ Lamb Weston
Facility in Hermiston, Ore.
- Hermiston improved freezing capability
by installing a Velocity Air Stack to better direct air flow in
their freeze tunnel.
- The project resulted in the elimination
of a 500-horsepower compressor, reducing electricity use by 4.3
percent.
Water Resources: Conservation & Wastewater Management –
ConAgra Foods’ Grocery Facility in Helm, Calif.
- Faced with one of the most severe
droughts on record in California, Helm focused their attention on
reducing fresh water use during tomato fresh pack.
- By maximizing the use of water
reclaimed from tomatoes, the facility reduced fresh water use by
over 40 percent, conserving 22 million gallons.
Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling – ConAgra Foods’ Lamb
Weston Potato Facility in Twin Falls, Idaho.
- Twin Falls explored opportunities to
minimize frozen waste while ensuring the same product quality,
testing frozen grader screens with fewer holes in their screening
process.
- Installation of screens with 66 percent
fewer holes provided the same quality product while eliminating
over 1,000 tons of potato waste.
Sustainable Business Innovation – ConAgra Foods’ Lamb Weston
Meijer Potato Facility in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands.
- After a successful pilot test, Bergen
op Zoom applied a new technology to fundamentally change how
potatoes are preheated in preparation for cutting.
- This technology reduced water use by
18.5 million gallons, increased frozen recovery by 1 percent, and
reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 900 metric tons.
Award of Excellence – ConAgra Foods’ Snack Facility in
Waterloo, Iowa.
- Waterloo previously landfilled packaged
pudding produced during flavor changeovers, sending high-quality
pudding – albeit uniquely flavored – to waste.
- This project eliminated over 1,000 tons
of packaged food waste by successfully identifying a market for a
blended pudding SKU.
About ConAgra FoodsConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is
one of North America's largest packaged food companies
with branded and private branded food found in 99 percent of
America's households, as well as a strong commercial foods business
serving restaurants and foodservice operations globally. Consumers
can find recognized brands such as Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg
Beaters®, Healthy Choice®, Hebrew National®, Hunt's®, Marie
Callender's®, Orville Redenbacher's®, PAM®, Peter Pan®,
Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Snack Pack® and many other ConAgra Foods
brands, along with food sold by ConAgra Foods under
private brand labels, in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise,
club and drug stores. Additionally, ConAgra
Foods supplies frozen potato and sweet potato products as well
as other vegetable, spice, bakery and grain products to commercial
and foodservice customers. ConAgra Foods operates
ReadySetEat.com, an interactive recipe website that provides
consumers with easy dinner recipes and more. For more information,
on ConAgra Foods Citizenship efforts, visit us at
www.conagrafoodscitizenship.com.
.
ConAgra FoodsLanie Friedman,
773-398-9870lanie.friedman@conagrafoods.comwww.conagrafoods.com
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