Conagra Brands has highlighted a series of internal projects that reduced carbon, waste, water use, and packaging across its North American network.
The update shows how Conagra sustainability 2025 goals are being driven directly by employee teams.
Demand for more sustainable food production continues to rise across North America.
The company announced the winners of its Sustainable Development Awards, which recognise work completed during fiscal year 2025.
Each project was reviewed by internal sustainability leaders, with one team receiving the overall Award of Excellence.
This sits in a market where large suppliers like Nestlé and Kraft Heinz are also pushing new efficiency programmes to meet retailer expectations.
Key Facts
Conagra highlighted six winning teams across climate, water, waste, packaging, and responsible sourcing.
The logistics team in Omaha and Chicago consolidated underfilled shipments into full truckloads using Oracle Transportation Management tools.
This zero-cost change saved about $250,000, cut 241 truck trips, and avoided 123 metric tons of CO₂e.
It also strengthened cross-team planning, showing how simple digital optimisation can scale quickly.
In Mexico, the Irapuato plant redesigned its palm-oil line cleaning process.
The team reduced cleaning frequency by 75% and cut palm-oil use by more than 82,000 lbs a year.
Water use fell by over 53,000 gallons, supporting wider Conagra sustainability 2025 goals.
At the Waterloo, Iowa plant, improved steam-quality monitoring and digital audits reduced landfill waste.
The project diverted 948 tons of material from destruction and delivered $1.29 million in savings from a $70,000 investment.
Three sites — Omaha, Chicago and Fayetteville — reduced the paper bowl thickness for Evol and Gardein frozen meals.
The change removed ink, cut paper use by 31%, and saved $63,000 a year without altering production lines.
Another Waterloo project repurposed unsellable sunflower seeds by donating them to a local Audubon Society for bird feeders.
The initiative avoids disposal fees and supports local biodiversity.
The Award of Excellence went to the Maple Grove, Minnesota team.
They created a closed-loop recycling system for paper rolls that did not meet production standards.
All rejected paper now returns to the supplier for reuse, diverting around 50 tons of waste annually.
Across these projects, employees also used small digital tools and low-cost adjustments to track waste, check quality, and optimise production steps.
Why It Matters
The update shows how one of North America’s major branded suppliers is moving from policy to practical action.
It also highlights how zero-cost or low-cost sustainability ideas can still deliver significant results.
For retailers, these improvements support category performance, packaging targets, and supplier-driven carbon reductions.
The progress also strengthens Conagra’s position as competition intensifies around sustainability reporting and operational efficiency.
Editor’s note: This article is based on verified information from Conagra Brands’ official announcement.
