Cargill has reduced the amount of plastic it uses for its vegetable oil bottles and containers by nearly 1,200 tonnes globally, the global agribusiness company announced on 2 October.
“These plastic reductions are removing nearly 2,900 tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) per year from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to removing 616 cars from the road.”
Examples of plastic packaging reduction in the four geographic regions where Cargill manufactured edible oils included:
In North America, Cargill had eliminated 421 tonnes of plastic usage due to investments in new bottling line technology; as well as retrofitting existing equipment and improving processes at its crush and refinery facilities.
Cargill now used 100% recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic for packaging in its three new bottling lines.
The company was also using smart technology to create bottles on-site from small, core plastic components, eliminating the need to transport standard-sized plastic bottles.
In Europe, Cargill said it was working with all its customers to reduce the amount of plastic in their one litre bottles of vegetable oil, reducing plastic usage by 360 tonnes/year.
Cargill was also working with a German consumer goods customer to incorporate 30% recycled PET in its one litre bottles of vegetable oil.
“That project, and similar ones launching with additional customers, are designed to help customers prepare for the European Union’s goal of plastic bottles having at least 25% recycled content by 2025 and 30% by 2030,” Cargill said.
In Asia Pacific, Cargill said its Indian edible oil brands – Gemini, Sweekar, and NatureFresh – cut around 25% of the plastic used for select packages, eliminating 255 tonnes of plastic usage in packaging in 2018.
Cargill said it was also cutting down on the amount of raw plastic used across all platforms and products. For example, it had worked with Dow Chemical to reformulate its plastic material, making 90% of its plastic packaging recyclable. The goal was to use 100% recyclable packaging for Gemini, Sweekar and NatureFresh by the end of 2020.
In South America, Cargill’s Brazilian soyabean oil Liza had reduced the amount of plastic in its 900ml vegetable oil bottles from 17.7g to 16.7g, eliminating 161 tonnes/year of plastic used in packaging.
