Solae Commits to Sustainable Packagaing

Kraft paper, which is like the paper used in grocery store bags, is a 100 percent biodegradable natural product. The pulp is not bleached to ensure minimum chemical processing. Kraft paper decomposes naturally within a few weeks.

08/12/08 Solae announced a new initiative to reduce its environmental footprint. The global protein innovation company is changing all product packaging from bleached white bags to brown kraft paper bags.

"At Solae, we are actively pursuing a variety of efforts to reduce our environmental footprint to provide more valuable solutions for our customers," said Michele Fite, Solae vice president of global strategy and marketing.

Kraft paper, which is like the paper used in grocery store bags, is a 100 percent biodegradable natural product. The pulp is not bleached to ensure minimum chemical processing. Kraft paper decomposes naturally within a few weeks.

Solae customers can expect to begin seeing the new bags in December, with full packaging transitioned to the new bags by July 2009.

Packaging is not the only environmental sustainability program implemented by Solae. Its new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,, a third party certification program run by the U.S. Green Building Council)-certified global headquarters is a showcase for green building practices. Additionally, Solae is working to power its plants with innovative energy programs. In Esteio, Brazil, and Pryor, Okla., the company is recovering energy from waste water treatment processes, and plans are under way to initiate changes like these across the globe.

Solae is the world leader in developing innovative soy-based technology and ingredients for the food, meat and nutritional products industries. Solae provides solutions that deliver a unique combination of functional, nutritional and economic benefits to our customers. At Solae, the journey to innovation begins with nature. We take one of nature's best resources, the soybean, and create nutritious and great-tasting ingredients. Our goal is to provide solutions for today while innovating for tomorrow. With more than 1,000 products used by more than 3,500 customers, Solae's soy ingredients are enjoyed by consumers around the world in products such as baked goods, beverages, nutrition bars, meats, vegetarian meals and much more. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion, the company was formed through a joint venture between Bunge Limited and DuPont.