A major frozen food company is introducing a new product made from used cooking oil—here’s how it could transform your freezer.

As more consumers shop with sustainability in mind, more companies are adjusting their products to meet demand.

Many of these changes are happening in the world of packaging, and Lamb Weston is joining them, reports FoodTechBiz. The frozen potato and French fries maker has partnered with chemical giant SABIC and Oerlemans Plastics to create a lighter, closed-loop pouch.

The packaging is made from 60% renewable raw materials derived from used cooking oil and 20% thinner film. The resulting weight reduction compared to the previous packaging (the new packaging is 10 grams) reduces the associated contamination.

“As part of our ambitious plans for sustainability and innovation in the frozen potato category, the brand’s new European retail packaging is made from 60% bio-circular plastic derived from Lamb Weston’s used cooking oil and is ISCC PLUS certified,” said Sebastian Besems, Vice President of Lamb Weston. president of advertising for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to FoodTechBiz.

“By using bio-renewable SABIC polymer, less quantity and better packaging, this innovation reduces the carbon footprint of our retail bags by 30%, meeting consumer expectations for (fast moving consumer goods) brands to be as eco-friendly as possible.”

Besems noted that the initiative is part of the company’s goals to halve food waste, reduce carbon emissions by 25% and create a more circular production model by 2030. Pre-fried frozen potato products in new packaging became available in the UK and the Netherlands in September.

Other industry innovations include Cambio Roasters’ aluminum coffee capsules, which are 100% recyclable. And supermarket chain Aldi is switching to paper packaging for many of its products, including butter, crisps and even gin.

Supporting these and other companies that are doing right by us and the environment can go a long way in reducing the demand for harmful products.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, plastic production doubled from 2000 to 2019, and the amount of resulting plastic waste more than doubled. About two out of three pieces of this trash are less than five years old, and 40% of it is packaging material.

🗣️ When you think about product packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?

🔘What does it look like 😍

🔘 Information it provides 🧐

🔘The waste it produces 🗑️

🔘I don’t think about packaging at all 🤷

🗳️ Click on your choice to see the results and give your opinion.

Half of plastic waste ends up in landfills, 22% ends up in the environment, and 19% is incinerated. Only 9% is recycled. This leads to pollution, mainly in our waterways, and it harms us as the plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. These microplastics are consumed by animals and find their way into our drinking water, entering our bodies and causing cancer and other diseases.

Buying from brands that are focused on solving this problem is one way to become a changemaker. You can also take simple steps like replacing disposable water bottles with reusable ones, ditching plastic grocery bags for cloth ones, and ditching plastic food containers for other options.

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