Dairy Processing - September/October 2024 - 52

OPERATIONS
carton recyclability contributed to cartons ending up as
waste. The Council recognized the urgency and took on the
mission of increasing carton recycling rates, reducing waste
and promoting sustainable packaging solutions.
The Carton Council continues to grow a sustainable
infrastructure for carton recycling nationwide and works
toward their continual goal of adding access and growing
recycling of cartons throughout the US. Since its formation,
the number of households with access to recycle their food
and beverage cartons through their local residential recycling
program has grown by almost 240%.
Along with partners including Upcycling Group and Elof
Hansson, the Council plans to launch a facility in 2025 that
will convert 9,000 tons of used food and beverage cartons
annually into sustainable building materials, such as roof
cover boards and interior wallboard. This project aims to
reduce waste and carbon emissions by repurposing the fiber,
polyethylene and aluminum in cartons, while also addressing
challenges like material supply and gaining wider adoption in
the construction industry.
The Carton Council has set ambitious goals for the
future. By 2025, the Council aims to expand carton recycling
programs to 16,254 schools, increase the US recycling rate to
25% and elevate household access to carton recycling to 75%.
INGREDIENT SOURCING
Food and beverage marketers are more mindful of ingredients
they source, often with the intent to communicate an
ingredient's sustainability journey.
Many are looking for evidence of sustainable practices
along the supply chain. The challenge is there's no universal
definition of " sustainable practices. "
52 SEP-OCT 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
The Federal Trade Commission has published its
Green Guides, which are guidelines that caution against
making unqualified environmental claims that may mislead
consumers. As with all marketing, there are risks involved
with making sustainability claims. The risks involve future
regulation, as well as deceptive practice lawsuits filed by
organizations policing claims.
Ingredient suppliers are more widely using third-party
validation services to manage sustainability claims. The
claims run the gamut of water stewardship to regenerative
agriculture to upcycling.
" There is no standard or consistency in data collection
across suppliers, " said Jennifer DuCray, sustainability
manager, North America, for Kemin Industries, Des Moines,
Iowa. " This lack of cohesiveness makes comparisons of
ingredients dependent on assumptions that may not have
the most accurate data. Validation is critical to reduce
greenwashing across the ingredient segment so consumers
have a solid understanding of what they are buying. "
For Kemin, sustainable cultivation methods include
managing plant life cycles, minimizing inputs and using good
agricultural practices. This enables the company to grow
plants with more of the desired active molecules, with less
land, water and other input usages.
" Focusing on shelf life is an approach that enhances
manufacturing efficiencies, improves distribution channels
and reduces food waste generated by manufacturers, retailers
and consumers, " said Karen Winkowski, vice president,
innovation, Innophos, Cranbury, NJ. " Extended shelf life
lowers both the economic and environmental impacts
of wasted food, helping to feed more people and sustain
our planet. "
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Dairy Processing - September/October 2024

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