Nivera Wallani

President & General Manager, KFC Canada

Armando Carrillo

Food Innovation Manager, KFC Canada

KFC’s commitment to sustainable packaging is setting an example for the industry and helping to protect our planet.

Protecting the planet is one of KFC’s core values, and over the last several years the company has made great strides in lessening its environmental footprint. A big part of this initiative has been the restaurant’s commitment to evolving its food packaging. Today, you won’t find a plastic straw in sight at a KFC restaurant, and the company has launched some truly innovative new products, like bamboo buckets and fibre based cutlery along with other sustainability-minded initiatives, including their recent commitment to move to 100 percent home compostable packaging by 2025.

A long history based on unique values

KFC’s leadership in making its food packaging more environmentally-friendly and sustainable has a big impact, especially as it’s one of the largest global restaurant chains.

Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952 down in Kentucky, KFC is now the world’s most popular chain of chicken restaurants. Today, KFC has more than 25,000 restaurants across 145 countries and territories around the world, including more than 600 locations right here in Canada. 

To this day, the Colonel’s proprietary blend of 11 herbs and spices is still used to season KFC’s world-famous chicken, and it remains a closely-guarded secret. Colonel Sanders, the visionary behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, is still an important part of KFC’s brand and values. Throughout everything the Colonel did, he espoused his own unique brand of values, famously saying, “A man’s life is written by the way he lives it.” Here in Canada, the team at KFC has been writing its own unique chapter in the KFC story — and embodying the Colonel’s integrity and spirit of hard work remains at the core.

Protecting the planet is one of KFC’s core values and over the last several years the company has made great strides in lessening its environmental footprint.

Sustainability that’s grounded in a sense of responsibility

Reducing plastic packaging and waste is essential for conserving resources and energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing pollution. KFC understands this imperative and is at the forefront of sustainable packaging and practices in the fast food industry.

KFC has been leading the industry in sustainable packaging since 2019, when it removed all plastic straws and bags from its restaurants, eliminating 50 million plastic straws and 10 million plastic bags across the country and replacing them with fibre-based alternatives. KFC also now sources 100 percent of its fibre-based packaging from recycled sources.

“We’re on a continuous journey to lessen our environmental footprint and believe that, as one of the largest global restaurant brands, we can make a tremendous impact not only in our local communities but our global footprint as well,” says Nivera Wallani, President and General Manager of KFC Canada.

A commitment to reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging

The KFC bucket is an iconic part of the brand’s heritage, and evolving it into a bamboo version was a major step forward in achieving their goal to eliminate non-recoverable or non-reusable plastic-based packaging by 2025. Bamboo is fast-growing, anti-bacterial, and 100 percent biodegradable — the perfect solution. KFC has removed 12 million plastic poutine containers from its operations by transitioning to bamboo.

“We want KFC’s packaging to be forward-thinking and inspiring, and to champion functionality, food safety, and eco-friendly solutions,” says Armando Carrillo, Innovation Manager at KFC Canada. “We’ve continued to accelerate our efforts and push the boundaries to bring more environmentally-sustainable packaging solutions to market, including our move to bamboo poutine buckets.”

Inspiring change and constantly innovating

KFC has also been testing fibre-based cutlery. In November 2020, select restaurants began testing a new fibre-based spork made from bamboo, corn, and sugarcane. The new cutlery naturally decomposes at room temperature and requires no additional treatment, nor does it leave any toxic by-products. The process of decomposition takes approximately 18 months. Once fully introduced into the KFC restaurant system, the compostable cutlery will eliminate 40 million pieces of plastic cutlery annually.

KFC also recently announced that by 2025, all consumer-facing packaging will be fully home compostable, and the first home compostable bucket will begin piloting this year. KFC’s new eco-friendly sandwich bag, currently rolling out across all restaurants nationally, is an excellent new addition to the company’s home compostable initiatives. It’s made with 100 percent sustainably-sourced paper and coated with a plant-based, certified home compostable, marine-degradable coating. This bold commitment will divert nearly 200 million pieces of packaging from Canadian landfills each year.

“We hope it encourages our peers in the industry to follow suit,” says Wallani. “One of our leading principles at KFC Canada is feeding people, not landfills. The move to 100 percent home compostable consumer packaging is a bold and ambitious step we’re taking to inspire positive change in the communities we operate in.”

Giving back with the Harvest program

Alongside its packaging, KFC also takes food waste extremely seriously and donates its surplus chicken to charities within its local communities through its Harvest program. The team at KFC was inspired to create its prepared food donation program when it learned that there’s enough wasted food in the world to feed two billion people, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

KFC works with suppliers to purchase only as much fresh food as it expects to sell to customers based on its projections, and any surplus food is donated to food banks, soup kitchens, and other non-profits across Canada through Harvest. The restaurant donates an average of 85,000 pounds of food annually. Since 2016, KFC restaurants have donated over 260,000 pounds of food to 241 unique charities across the country.

“KFC Canada is committed to fighting food waste through our Harvest program while helping nourish those in need of high-quality protein — one of the most in-demand foods at relief shelters and food banks across the country,” says Wallani. “Colonel Sanders famously said, ‘I’m proud that I’ve helped bring good chicken to the tables of millions of people.’ Through Harvest, we’re building on that achievement beyond our restaurants while also ensuring it doesn’t end up in landfills.”

Fostering a sustainability culture

There’s no doubt that KFC is a major player in sustainability. The company’s strong voice and stance on sustainability demonstrates to its team members and franchisees that it has a stake in the game and that it cares. The KFC team lives and breathes a heart-led culture, giving its teams the permissibility to live these values every day.

KFC also works hard to ensure that its in-store initiatives make living this approach easy. For example, it’s on a mission to digitize all back-of-house operations, meaning no more paper and waste, and doing everything electronically (which also helps with supply chain management), allowing its team members to focus on delivering the best possible customer experience. KFC has also removed all financial barriers for its franchisees by paying the up-front costs for their restaurants to onboard onto the Harvest program.

KFC is working hard to inspire its industry peers and make a tremendous impact. And it’s working.

The post KFC’s Bold Sustainability Strides Are Setting an Industry Example appeared first on HiveInnovates.

What sparked your passion for a zero-waste lifestyle?

⁠It might be surprising but I didn’t start going zero waste because I loved the planet: I suffered from a major hormonal imbalance in college which led to a lot of pain, doctor visits, full-blown cystic acne, mood swings and mental health issues. So, I started reducing my exposure to endocrine disruptors which are found in a lot of products we come into daily contact with. One of my favourite books on this topic is Estrogeneration which explores the link between synthetic estrogen with our bodies and nature.

It all clicked for me when I moved to California, that the changes I was making to my personal health weren’t only better for me, they were also better for the planet.

I started my blog goingzerowaste.com because I wanted people to know they could save money, be healthier, and be more ecofriendly. It seemed like a no-brainer, and I wanted to help people make this transition easy and fun.

What does zero waste or eco-friendly living mean to you?

To me, it’s just about wasting less and being a good steward of what I have.

Buy fewer items. Use that last drop of shampoo. Upcycle your glass salsa jar to store leftovers. Reuse that promotional cotton tote until the straps fall off and then stitch them back on. Invest in products that will last a lifetime. Focus on timeless things that bring you joy rather than trends. Shop second hand. Eat fewer animal products, more plants, and remember, it’s not about being perfect.

We need to hold corporations and legislators accountable to ensure safe access to clean air, clean drinking water, and a safe environment for everyone.

What are your top tips for getting started?

1. I recommend that everyone start with the big four.
2. Say no to straws. If you need straws or like them, try and opt for a reusable one. My personal favourite is glass.
3. Ditch the plastic water bottles. Did you know tap water is more regulated than bottled water? If you don’t like the taste of you
4. Ditch plastic water bottles. Did you know tap water is more regulated than bottled water? If you don’t like the taste of your water, invest in a filter, you will save so much money in the long run. I prefer an insulated water bottle that keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.
5. Bring your own bags to the store. If you tend to forget, get a couple that fold up real small and attach to your key ring so they’ll always be with you.
6. Avoid coffee cups which are actually lined with plastic and unrecyclable in most places. The lids aren’t recyclable either. If you have your handy-dandy insulated water bottle on you, you can grab your coffee, or ask for it in a real
   mug to stay.

The post Kathryn Kellogg’s Advice on “Going Zero Waste” appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Plastic can be a valuable material. But the amount of it that currently ends up in oceans and landfill is now almost universally recognized as unacceptable.

Plastic can be a valuable material. But the amount of it that currently ends up in oceans and landfill is now almost universally recognized as unacceptable. In Canada, over 85% of plastic is used only once and is then discarded.

This huge waste problem is an inevitable part of the linear economy that we all operate in – we take resources from the environment, make things with them and then dispose of them as waste. It’s an unsustainable system and one which is responsible for at least 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

There is another way. The adoption of a circular economy can tackle plastic pollution at the source as well as potentially mitigate climate change. But it does require some big changes to the ways that most businesses operate – eliminating the plastics we don’t need at the design stage; innovating to ensure the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable; and circulating everything to keep it out of the environment and in the economy.

Get this right and the benefits could be widespread. A circular economy has the capability to reduce GHGs from the production, use, and disposal of plastics by 25%, and create 700,000 new jobs by 2040.

In 2018, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the United Nations Environment Programme established the Global Commitment to bring together businesses and governments behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastic. More than 500 organizations have agreed to work towards concrete 2025 targets on how they produce, use, and reuse plastic.

These actions are furthered by a network of groups, sharing best practices. Under the banner of the Foundation’s global Plastics Pact Network, there are now 10 Plastic Pacts convened at individual country levels, together with two regional Pacts.

Canada’s Plastic Pact was launched in January 2021, led by The Natural Step Canada and with members including Walmart, Danone Canada and Maple Leaf Foods. The group has just unveiled its Roadmap for 2025 – a manifesto comprising four targets;

1.    Define a list of plastic packaging that is to be designated as problematic or unnecessary and take measures to eliminate these by 2025

2.    Support efforts towards 100% of plastic packaging being designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025

3.    Undertake ambitious actions to ensure that at least 50% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted by 2025

4.    Ensure an average of at least 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging (by weight) by 2025.

These are ambitious goals, but action is already happening among international businesses. The latest Global Commitment Progress Report shows that after decades of growth, the use of virgin plastic (i.e plastic that has not yet been used) appears to have peaked for Global Commitment brands and retailers.

Many challenges remain. Progress has largely been driven by recycling, but that is not enough to solve plastic pollution. We need urgent action to eliminate single-use packaging.

We also need a legally binding, global agreement to level the playing field so that all businesses and governments can play their part. A large number of businesses and countries are supportive of a UN treaty on plastic pollution.

Everyone has a vital role to play in solving the plastic problem. Businesses, public organizations and citizens are all encouraged to be inspired by the Roadmap and find their way of contributing to this shared action plan. Where will you start?

The post Eliminating Plastic Waste at Source in the Circular Economy appeared first on HiveInnovates.

The plastic pollution crisis meets the underlying criteria necessary to classify the issue as a threat to global security, yet it lacks a legally binding global treaty.

The potential long-term detrimental health effects of plastic pollution remain contentious while environmental implications are wide-ranging and globally devastating. Investigatory research demonstrates genuine cause for concern and evolving consequences when evaluating the effects of mismanaged plastic waste. When defining matters of global security using a plastic pollution lens, traditional definitions of security are widened to include matters of environment, health, and civil rights. These matters are increasingly being considered politically important and, as matters of security, as they take the center stage of many political agendas globally.

Defining security and plastic pollution

When defining matters of global security, research demonstrates that specific criteria must be met, which include:

• Threat to preservation of international peace
• Transboundary threat
• Political action has been taken
• The issue has “real-world” consequences
• Drastically threatens or degrades the quality of life of state inhabitants over a brief time span

These underlying criteria are found in other significant environmental crises that are well established as threats to global security such as global climate change, biodiversity and species loss, invasive species, ozone depletion, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These recognized threats have extensive binding global treaties which catalyze global action to minimize or eliminate their effect. What is alarming, however, with the issue of plastic pollution is that, although it meets all the same criteria, the world has not yet developed a globally binding treaty to curb the devastating effects and serious risk of this ubiquitous pollution. To make matters worse, plastic pollution contributes to many of the existing recognized ecological threats to global security, worsening their cumulative effects such as atmospheric carbon.

Finding solutions among the disparity

There are no proven formulas which provide one solution to ending the plastic pollution crisis. Solutions must be localized, diverse, accessible, and as equally complex as the issue of plastic pollution itself. Over the last decade, Ocean Legacy has been creating a plastic pollution emergency response program called EPIC, a strategic platform which integrates Education, Policy, Infrastructure, and Cleanup. This program was designed to educate a global population around the effects of plastic pollution, to build advocacy tools, and identify policy gaps that build effective practices which manage plastic wastes, to give plastic waste an economic value and stimulate the plastic circular economy with infrastructure development, to provide training to facilitate cleanups, and to develop immersive learning tools to steward the natural environment.

The future of plastic is circular. Circularity is a founding ideology that I believe will become the accepted norm which sustains the very basis of humanity’s survival. Circularity is where humanity learns to harmonize its behaviour with nature and provides the opportunity to reevaluate and redesign our current state of affairs. To move forward into a life-supporting reality, establishing the following will be critical:

• We need a coordinated globally binding treaty to catalyze world-wide action and to harmonize patch work policy
• We must teach our children the importance of building a meaningful relationship with the natural planet and educate the general population on the threat of plastic pollution
• The need for more long-term research on the human health effects of plastic pollution is urgent
• Mandating recycled content standards in manufacturing and redesigning products with their full life cycle in mind must become common practice
• Capital investment to build new systems which foster behaviour change and develop infrastructure are paramount

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