Dive Brief:
- Conagra Brands held its annual Sustainable Development Awards, honoring employees who incorporate sustainability practices, according to Pro Food World.
- Thanks to this year’s 58 entries, the company diverted more than 8,700 tons of waste from landfills, conserved more than 245 million gallons of water, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2,100 metric tons. It also optimized and improved packaging while using 3,800 tons less material.
- Since coming up with the idea in 2009, the Sustainable Development Award projects have brought approximately $232 million in cost savings to the company.
Dive Insight:
Conagra Brands has seen big rewards from its Sustainable Development Award initiative. This year alone, the employees’ ideas were responsible for more than $5 million in savings.
Many people say they are interested in sustainability and protecting the planet, but not everyone actually does much about it. Conagra wanted its employees to not only think about sustainability, but to be a part of the solution. Workers appreciate being able to not only participate, but to be able to develop potential solutions and make their voices heard. More employee participation and recognition not only makes for a better work environment, it also lets employees know their efforts are valued and important. Employees who work directly in departments also are more likely to know exactly how to solve problems that present themselves there, so this kind of initiative is an example of leveraging the employees' expertise.
Studies have shown that consumers are interested in companies that are Earth-friendly and sustainability minded. They have been shown to be willing to pay more for products that come from companies with policies that take the environment into consideration.
Many food manufacturers have adopted sustainability practices recently, and aren’t shy about boasting about them on social media and in marketing materials. Efforts like this help Conagra look good in consumers' eyes, and will continue as long as these efforts continue.