Kraft Sheds 150 Million Pounds of Packaging

Guest post by Rancharese Whitaker

Kraft Foods has found a way to reduce material from its supply chains, targeting 150 million pounds two years ahead of schedule. Kraft Foods is using a new tool, the "Packaging Eco-Calculator,” to help it design packaging more efficiently, said Jean Spence, Executive Vice President, Research, Development & Quality.

As an example, Oscar Meyer Deli Creations now uses less paperboard, which reduces 1.2 million pounds of packaging out of landfills annually. In Europe, removing packaging layers from Milka chocolate bars reduces 60 percent of the shipping weight. In the UK, Kenco coffee is now offered in refillable bags along with the traditional glass jars instead of cans. Speaking of coffee cans, Maxwell House, Yuban and Nabob no longer use them either. Instead they’ve gone to paper board to reduce weight. In Australia, Kraft salad dressing bottles were redesigned and eliminated 100,000 pounds of plastic a year.

Kraft has partnered with RecycleBank and TerraCycle to improve the recycling rate in the U.S.

What Happens to Your Recycled E-Waste?

When you upgrade your cell phone, computer, printer, iPod, mp3 player, calculator, or other electronics, what do you do with the old one? Like any responsible person, you recycle it.

So what happens to all that e-waste from responsible e-cyclers? In case you missed it, 60 Minutes just aired an expose on the electronics recycling industry. It has been estimated that as much as 75% of used electronics received in developing nations for the purpose of recycling actually ends up as hazardous e-waste. Watch this 13-minute video documenting one example in Hong Kong.

To ensure your e-waste is recycled responsibly, look for a recycler that has met e-Stewards certification.



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E-Cycling

Are you aware of how much electronic waste we create each year? Take a look at Chris Jordan's photographic exhibit entitled "Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Consumption." Here are two of his exhibit photos of discarded cell phones (above) and circuit boards (below).

Nokia has recently announced a goal to collect 100,000 unwanted used cell phones and accessories. In addition to Nokia's recycling efforts (click here for how to recycle phones through Nokia), there are many ways to responsibly discard unwanted electronics equipment and cell phones.

Here is just a small sample of organizations that will take your unwanted cell phones and electronics equipment:

Recycling for Charity will take old cell phones and electronic devices.

Phones 4 Charity will take old cell phones.

Eco-Cell takes phones for environmental-organization fundraisers.

Rocky Mountain e-Cycle takes phones, inkjet cartridges, and laser cartridges. The phones go to domestic abuse programs as well as seniors and other low income groups that need 911 service.

Charitable Recycling also benefits nonprofit organizations by providing a monetary contribution to charity for each cell phone donated.

CollectiveGood recycles old cell phones.

MyGreenElectronics takes practically any electronic item, from computers and baby monitors to light bulb, televisions, and VCRs.

Earth911 allows you to search by zip code to find an e-cycling program near you.

American Cell Phone Drive recycles old cell phones raises funds for charitable organizations which provide scholarships for American children who have lost a parent to enemy or terrorist acts, feed malnourished children in Asia, build low-income housing, donate prepaid calling cards to military personnel, sponsor missionaries in China and support a host of other good works.

Computers for Schools takes computers in their local service areas and provides a link for donating computers outside their service area.

Cell Phones for Soldiers will send old cell phones to our troops.

And there are many others. Consumers and businesses can recycle electronic waste to be more responsible and sustainable.