Conagra sustainable Development Awards: Park Rapids and Quincy Lamb Weston facilities recognized

ConAgra Foods announced today the winners of its 2010 Sustainable Development Awards, an internal awards program created to recognize outstanding achievements integrating sustainability into business practices while also sharing best practices across the company. In total, these projects reduced carbon emissions by more than 27,000 metric tonnes, eliminated 18,000 tons of landfill waste and 3,400 tons of packaging material and conserved 128 million gallons of water during fiscal year 2010.

These projects also delivered more than $28 million in savings, clearly demonstrating the economic value of the company’s commitment to sustainable development.

One award was given in each of five categories, with 80 total entries received. Winners were announced yesterday, April 27, by company leaders, including CEO Gary Rodkin, at the 2010 Sustainable Development Awards in Omaha. Each winning submission was awarded a $5,000 grant from the ConAgra Foods® Foundation to apply toward a sustainable community service project.

“The winning projects epitomize our goal to promote sustainable business practices,” said Gail Tavill, vice president of Sustainable Development at ConAgra Foods. “Our hope is that employees across the company will take ideas like these and build upon them to drive their own projects to help our environment and deliver solid business results.”

In the Climate Change &Energy Efficiency category, the ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston® plant in Park Rapids, Minn., won for its project to reduce natural gas use and improve employee safety through a focused energy efficiency effort. The project reduced natural gas use by 42,000 dekatherms, enough energy to power 255 average American homes for one year;reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2,200 metric tonnes;and improved employee health and safety by capturing excess heat to provide a better work environment.

The award for Water Resources – Conservation &Wastewater Management was given to ConAgra Foods’ Helm, Calif., facility which modified the process for making Hunt’s® tomato paste using water removed from fresh tomatoes to supply boilers, cooling towers and tanks, drastically reducing the need for fresh water for processing. This water reclamation effort will conserve nearly 56 million gallons of water per year.

The company’s Batesville, Ark., facility received the award for Solid Waste Reduction &Recycling. The facility reduced its impact on the environment through source reduction, recycling and reuse. The plant created an expanded recycling program that diverted an additional 1,500 tons of waste from landfills and also reduced its total landfill waste by 90 percent, generating an increase in plant revenue by maximizing recycling and avoiding landfill charges.

The Sustainable Packaging, Product &Process Innovation award was given to the company’s Research, Quality &Innovation and Frozen Foods Supply Chain teams, both based in Omaha, for a program to optimize a tray design for Marie Callender’s® frozen meals. This program reduced finished goods shipments by 840 truckloads through improved pallet efficiency;reduced packaging materials by 867 tons of paper;and decreased energy use by 60 billion BTUs, enough energy to power 364 average American homes for one year.

Lamb Weston’s Quincy, Wash., plant received the Sustainability in Marketing &Sales award for its work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop the first tool of its kind to assess energy use in frozen potato processing operations. The plant recently became one of only three potato plants in the nation to earn the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Award.

An additional “Sustainability Award of Excellence” was awarded to ConAgra Foods’ Marion, Ohio, facility for its project to reduce landfill waste and increase recycling. More than 2,400 tons of materials were recycled and the facility reduced its total landfill waste by 78 percent. This project received special recognition as it exemplified the commitment to changing behavior across the facility to drive results.

Earlier this month, ConAgra Foods announced five aggressive sustainability goals to be achieved by 2015. This marked the first time ConAgra Foods has set company-wide sustainability goals. The goals build on the company's sustainability accomplishments, which began in 1992 with the commencement of the ConAgra Foods Sustainable Development Awards program.