ConAgra has announced an initiative to incorporate post-consumer recycled plastic into the trays used for most of its frozen foods.

The initiative, announced in August, entails trays with 30% to 40% post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These monolayer trays, supplied by Associated Packaging Technologies, will be used in ConAgra frozen food lines including Healthy Choice, Banquet, Kid Cuisine and Marie Callender’s. The transition will be completed during 2008.

Use of the recycled-content trays will save 8 million pounds of discarded plastic and more than 15,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, ConAgra says. It’s rare to see post-consumer recycled material in packaging that contacts food directly, due to stringent federal regulations.

Associated Packaging Technologies
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