The Kraft Heinz Co., the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, has agreed to set a goal to reduce total virgin plastic use following the filing of a shareholder proposal and engagement with As You Sow.
The proposal asked Kraft Heinz to report on how the company would reduce plastic packaging, including planned strategies, materials redesign and reductions in use of virgin plastic.
The company intends to set a substantial virgin plastic packaging reduction goal, the company informed As You Sow in a statement. In response, As You Sow agreed to withdraw its shareholder proposal. Kraft Heinz’s commitment continues a steady stream of major U.S. brands and retailers who have agreed to cut virgin plastic use after interaction with As You Sow.
“We were pleased to reach this agreement with Kraft Heinz that involves a substantial virgin plastic reduction goal for packaging including consideration of packaging redesign and innovative reuse models,” said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president at As You Sow.
The largest cut in overall plastic use to date by a major consumer goods company was a 2019 commitment by Unilever to cut virgin plastic use by 50 percent, including a total elimination of 100,000 tons of plastic packaging by 2025.
Published in the April 2022 Edition