Materials Comparison
Rotisserie Chicken in Flexible Packaging vs. Traditional Packaging
Ready-to-eat rotisserie chickens have traditionally been packaged in rigid dome containers. Innovative technology now allows a flexible package to perform in a deli hot case for freshly prepared foods while reducing environmental impacts.
Rigid Dome Container (Tray & Lid)
Product Weight 40 ounces
Packaging Weight 64 g
Energy Consumption 5.49
Emissions 0.20
Flexible Pouch
Product Weight 40 ounces
Packaging Weight 15 g
Energy Consumption 1.35
Emissions 0.03
Examples of packaging needed to package 60 pounds of beverage.
Glass = 50 pounds
Rigid PET = 6 pounds
Aluminum = 3 pounds
Flexible plastic = 1.5 pounds
Why the Flexible Pouch?
- Eighty-eight percent less fossil fuel is used, and 85% fewer CO2 emissions are generated during the manufacturing of flexible pouches.1
- The fossil fuel equivalent of changing a year’s worth of rigid dome rotisserie chicken packaging to flexible pouches would save enough gas to drive around the world 1,475 times. 2
- The flexible pouch uses 91% less space by case in shipping. More than 12 truckloads of rigid containers are needed to ship the same amount of Hot N Handy (trademark) pouches contained in one 53′-long truckload.3
- The flexible pouch offers a 2/3 reduction of solid waste by weight introduced in landfills versus rigid dome packaging.1
- The flexible pouch offers value-added features such as built-in handle, a resealable zipper, and being microwaveable and hot case ready.
Sources:
2013 Flexible Packaging Association
1 Data based on 2007 Life Cycle Analysis testing by Robbie Manufacturing, Inc., conducted using SimaPro 7.1 LCA Software
2 Compared to rigid packaging based on annual rotisserie sales of 550 M units. Fuel estimate: 1,809,623 gallons; total miles: 36,729,786.25 @ 20.3 MPG. Calculations generated using U.S. Energy Information Administration and U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
3 Based on industry average packaging/shipping dimensions of rigid packaged rotisserie chicken.
