Awards focus on Climate Change,
Packaging, Responsible Sourcing, Water Reduction and Waste
Reduction
CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands (NYSE: CAG) announced today the
winners of its Sustainable Development Awards, a program designed
to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements and
contributions of its dedicated employees. The awards are focused on
sustainability initiatives across five strategic categories:
Climate Change, Packaging, Responsible Sourcing, Water Reduction
and Waste Reduction. In addition, an overall "Award of Excellence"
is presented to the project that best exemplifies Conagra's six
Timeless Values of Integrity, External Focus, Broad-Mindedness,
Agility, Leadership and Results.
The program invited cross-functional employee teams to submit
projects completed during Conagra's fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
Each submission was evaluated by a panel of peers, with the final
winners selected by the company's sustainability leaders.
"At Conagra Brands, our Sustainable Development Awards highlight
our employees' remarkable ingenuity in creating environmentally
responsible solutions," said Christine
Daugherty, vice president of sustainability at Conagra
Brands. "These ongoing efforts help influence improvements across
our facilities and underscore Conagra's commitment to environmental
stewardship. Congratulations to everyone who participated and
demonstrated their innovation and determination."
The Sustainable Development Awards acknowledge exceptional
performance, motivate continuous improvement and foster a positive
culture by celebrating shared successes. Conagra's 2024 Sustainable
Development Award winners include:
- Climate Change: Maple
Grove, Minn. – The Maple
Grove team installed energy-efficient air units that cut
natural gas usage by 12%, saving approximately $36,000 annually.
- Packaging: Rensselaer,
Ind. – The team in Rensselaer redesigned their shipping pallets
for Orville Redenbacher's®, fitting
30 more popcorn jugs per pallet. This change eliminated the need
for 34 metric tons of packaging annually. In addition,
the reduction in the number of pallets sent for transport led
to fewer trucks on the road, saving 79 metric tons of CO2 emissions
annually.
- Responsible Sourcing: Darien, Wis. – The Darien plant transformed 152 acres of farmland
into hayfields and natural prairie, significantly reducing
fertilizer and herbicide use. This change improved local wildlife
habitats, controlled erosion and provided hay for local
farmers.
- Water Reduction: Waterloo,
Iowa – The Waterloo team upgraded their automated
cleaning room to a modern system that recovers cleaning solutions
and maintains a more efficient wash cycle. This project saved more
than one million gallons of water and reduced energy and chemical
use. The new system also provides data for future savings and can
be applied to other facilities.
- Waste Reduction: Waterloo,
Iowa – At Conagra's facility in Waterloo, the team launched a project to
reduce waste from DAVID® Sunflower Seeds by measuring input
materials and waste. This data-driven approach saved $485,000 annually, reduced overall yield loss by
approximately 6% and eliminated nearly 200 tons of waste.
- Award of Excellence: Irapuato, Mexico – The Irapuato team
upgraded their biogas system to reduce energy consumption and
generate hot water. They installed turbines to produce electricity
and a heat exchanger to use exhaust gases for heating water. This
project now provides 8% of the site's electricity and reduces
natural gas use by 6%.
Each winning project team will receive a $5,000 grant from the Conagra Brands Foundation
to invest back into their surrounding community, empowering
employees to make a tangible difference where they live and
work.
For more information about Conagra's ongoing sustainability
initiatives, please see the company's 2023 Citizenship Report.
About Conagra Brands
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG),
is one of North America's leading branded food companies.
We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility
and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The
company's portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers'
ever-changing food preferences. Conagra's brands include Birds
Eye®, Duncan Hines®, Healthy Choice®, Marie Callender's®,
Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, and many more. As a
corporate citizen, we aim to do what's right for our business, our
employees, our communities and the world. Headquartered
in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2024 net sales of
more than $12 billion. For more information,
visit www.conagrabrands.com.
For additional information, please
contact:
media@conagra.com
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SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.