Our Commitment: We are committed to pursuing more sustainable packaging across our portfolio to reduce the impacts of our products and to maintain compliance with emerging international, national and state packaging, and single-use material laws. Due to our holding company business model and diversity of products it is necessary to allow our companies the agility to drive their own packaging and brand strategies while remaining appropriately aligned through our Packaging Share Group.
- Post is committed to active participation in the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and to implement How2Recycle (H2R) labeling across our products.
- Weetabix is committed to making 100% of packaging recyclable by 2025 and reducing the carbon footprint of packaging by 10%.
- Post Consumer Brands is committed to designing for 100% recyclable cereal and product packaging by 2025.
- In this Section
- Environmental Data
- GHG Emissions and Climate Change
- Water Stewardship
- Biodiversity and Deforestation
- Sustainable Packaging
- Waste Minimization
- Collective Action
Our Progress: Packaging teams across all businesses are working to reduce the volume of our packaging material used and find the best environmental solutions to keep the impact of our packaging low while providing safe and high-quality products. While there are innovative materials and designs more readily available, including plastic-free options, many do not keep food fresh or safe, resulting in increased food waste compared to our existing packaging. To ensure we stay aligned with the consumer goods industry and leverage all available technical resources, we actively support and participate in packaging-related initiatives such as:
Post Consumer Brands is committed to design for 100% recyclable cereal and product packaging across its product base by 2025. From our Malt-O-Meal brand being the first sold cereal in bags back in the 1960s to today with approximately 90% of cereal packaging, by weight, now made from recycled content or renewable resources and also designed to be recyclable, with a goal of 100% by fiscal year 2025, we are always looking to advance our packaging.
The Post Consumer Brands team has reduced plastic film usage in cereal bags by more than one million pounds while maintaining overall durability and quality and has reduced paper packaging material usage by about 930,000 pounds. In fiscal year 2023, we joined MBOLD, a circular economy collective action initiative with the aim of recovering 90 million pounds of flexible packaging and film per year.
Weetabix achieved 100% recyclable packaging across all brands in late calendar year 2022 and continues to innovate, including:
- Reducing the coating thickness in the paper wrap that protects Weetabix biscuits, representing a 59% reduction in material used and more than 200 metric tonnes reduction of plastic each year and now the paper wrap is fully acceptable in U.K. curbside recycling.
- Switching the supplier for board used for boxes from North America to Europe, along with carton flap designs that reduce material and glue.
- Currently trialing an inner bag with 30% recycled content set to be introduced across all cereal brands in fiscal year 2025.
8th Avenue has been trialing increased post-consumer recycled content for peanut butter containers as well as granola and fruit and nut pouches and is implementing How2Recycle labels.
Michael Foods is transitioning from white to kraft boxes. The majority of Michael Foods chip board and corrugated boxes contains recycled content.
Bob Evans Farms has been testing alternative trays for sausage products that are more sustainable while also maintaining product safety and quality.