Major frozen food company rolls out new product made from used cooking oil — here's how it could transform the freezer section

As more consumers shop with sustainability in mind, more companies are adjusting their products to meet demand.

Many of those changes are happening in the packaging world, and Lamb Weston is joining the party, FoodTechBiz reported. The frozen potato and fries maker partnered with chemical giant SABIC and Oerlemans Plastics to create a lighter bag made in a closed-loop process.

The package incorporates 60% renewable feedstock made from used cooking oil and a 20% thinner film. The resulting weight reduction from previous packaging — the new tally is 10 grams — reduces associated pollution.

"As part of our ambitious sustainability plans and innovations for the frozen potato category, the brand's new European retail pack is made with 60% bio-circular plastic originating from Lamb Weston's used cooking oil and is ISCC PLUS certified," said Sebastiaan Besems, vice president commercial for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, per FoodTechBiz.

"By using SABIC's bio-renewable polymer, less and better packaging, this innovation reduces the carbon footprint of our retail bags by 30%, aligning with consumer expectations that [fast-moving consumer goods] brands are as environmentally friendly as possible."

Besems noted that the initiative is part of the company's goals to cut its food waste in half, decrease its carbon pollution by 25%, and create a more circular production model by 2030. Pre-fried frozen potato products in the new packaging became available in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in September.

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Other innovations in the industry include Cambio Roasters' 100% recyclable aluminum coffee pods. And supermarket chain Aldi is turning to paper-based packaging for many of its products, including butter, crisps, and even gin.

Supporting these and other companies that are doing right by us and the environment can go a long way in reducing demand for harmful products.

Plastic production doubled from 2000 to 2019, and the resulting plastic waste generated more than doubled, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. About two in three pieces of this trash are less than five years old, and 40% of it is packaging material.

🗣️ When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?

🔘 The way it looks 😍

🔘 The information it provides 🧐

🔘 The waste it produces 🗑️

🔘 I don't think about packaging at all 🤷

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Half of plastic waste is buried in landfills, while 22% ends up in the environment and 19% is burned. Only 9% is recycled. This leads to pollution, mostly in our waterways, and that harms us, as plastic only breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. These microplastics are consumed by animals and infiltrate our drinking water, reaching our bodies and causing cancer and other diseases.

Buying from brands that focus on cutting into this problem is one way to become a change-maker. You can also take such simple steps as swapping single-use water bottles for a reusable water bottle, ditching plastic grocery bags for cloth ones, and dumping plastic food containers for other options.