KFC to use Bamboo Packaging?

As environmentally friendly trends continue to spread globally, so is the need for businesses to adapt this global mindset in their business model.

On the latest environmental trend in the food industry, KFC announced that it has plans to use bamboo packaging, starting with its famous KFC poutines, as soon as 2020. “The KFC bucket is one of the most iconic symbols around the world and has always been synonymous with our world-famous chicken, said Armando Carrillo, Innovation Manager, KFC Canada. We are proud of our sustainability journey and we want our customers to feel that KFC is dedicated to, not only in providing Finger Licking’ Good chicken in every bucket, but also delivering it in a way that our guests can feel good about it.”

https://global.kfc.com/press-release/kfc-canada-testing-bamboo-buckets

So why do companies do this – support communities and address environmental issues?
Multinational corporations usually, include in their budget, a means to build their brand or innovate in a way that the community support. After all, their customers are the reasons why their business exists in the first place, and the customers, especially in retail businesses, are made up mostly of regular community members, like you and me. And in this case, the sustainability commitment of KFC, as a company, includes sourcing all of its fibre-based packaging from certified or recycled material, as a means to support the environment.

So what is bamboo packaging?
Bamboo packaging is basically an alternative, to the traditional plastic or paper packaging that are currently being used in many fast-food chains. Since Bamboo has excellent properties of natural fibres, making them more available as biodegradable composites. It gives a very sustainable resource as a disposable packaging material.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=bamboo+packaging&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5#d=gs
_qabs&u=%23p%3DFoy5XbAmRX4J
The bamboo industry itself is also very sustainable. The bamboo plant is one of the world’s fastest-growing plants, growing 36 inches in a 24 hour period.

And are there other sustainable food packaging ideas?
According to National Geographic, there are actually many other sustainable food packaging ideas that we have not heard of, including Bowls made of mushrooms, cups fashioned from
seaweed, etc. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-food/food-packaging-plastics-
recycle-solutions/

While it is not explicit the basis of KFC’s decision of why bamboo packaging was specifically chosen on their press release, I think one of the the main reason bamboo packaging is chosen is that the general population feel fairly safe eating from bamboo-made materials. Also, its rate of growth makes it a very financially sound choice.

So what do you think? Are you in support of KFC’s new bamboo packaging idea? I personally am a big fan of the green movement. Whatever we can contribute towards sustainable development and protecting the ecosystem is definitely worthwhile to explore. And what’s a better thing to do than to enjoy our tasty KFC chicken without having the heavy
carbon footprint!