KFC commits to sustainable packaging globally

KFC of Plano, Texas, has recently announced a new global sustainability commitment that all plastic-based, consumer-facing packaging will be recoverable or reusable by 2025. KFC says the goal supports its long-term plan to implement a more sustainable packaging strategy in its restaurants – by both developing and using sustainable packaging options – and builds on progress already made in some markets to eliminate plastic packaging items.

"As a global brand that operates more than 22,000 restaurants in over 135 countries, KFC is in a position to have a real impact on how the industry approaches waste and packaging management overall," says Tony Lowings, the chief executive officer of KFC. "With environmental sustainability as a core aspect of how we do business, this commitment represents a public acknowledgment of the obligation we have to address these serious issues."

To meet its goals, KFC has developed a roadmap that includes partnering with major suppliers and franchisees globally to identify plastic alternatives in each market. The restaurant chain is working on several key initiatives related to achieving these goals, including conducting an audit of current systems with franchisees to identify plastic waste reduction opportunities; partnering with suppliers to identify sustainable packaging alternatives for items like straws, plastic bags, cutlery and lids; and setting market-specific goals to reduce, reuse and recycle. KFC will support franchisees to define and implement their own sustainability agenda to address the unique needs of local markets and customers. Global markets will also continue to have their own additional local sustainability goals that vary based on local market conditions and regulations.

Several markets have already announced plans to reduce the use of certain plastics, including: KFC Singapore's intention to stop providing plastic straws and cup lids in its 84 restaurants; KFC Romania's and France's common goal to replace all plastic straws with paper; and KFC India's removal of consumer plastic bags from their restaurants and ongoing transition to sustainable alternatives for plastic cups, bowls, sporks and straws.

In addition to KFC's new plastics goal and the existing commitment by its parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, to source 100 percent of fiber-based packaging from certified or recycled sources by 2020, KFC has committed to global packaging innovation by signing on as a supporting partner with NextGen Consortium. NextGen is a multi-year, multi-industry global consortium that aims to advance the design, commercialization and recovery of food packaging alternatives. Through this partnership, KFC says it hopes to identify fiber packaging solutions that are recoverable across global infrastructures.

Yum's initiative joins a growing group of companies committing to more sustainable packaging in the next decade, including Nestle of Vevey, Switzerland; Proctor & Gamble Co. of Cincinnati; and Late July Snacks of Norwalk, Connecticut.

KFC U.S. was the first major chicken chain to extend an antibiotic-free commitment to bone-in chicken. For more information about KFC's U.S. sustainability efforts across all facets of the business, visit https://www.kfc.com/about/responsibility.