Announcing a new eight part series highlighting what we are demanding KFC do to protect our forests…

“KFC is as committed to the environment as we are to our food and to our customers. We are proud of the steps we have taken so far to reduce our environmental footprint and are committed as a brand to do even more in the future.” – kfc.com/packaging

The above statement is from KFC’s own website. KFC talks a lot about environmental responsibility, as well as heritage and community, and we agree with these values. Yet its actions are not consistent with its rhetoric.

KFC’s packaging contributes directly to the destruction of Southern forests, specifically to the destruction of endangered forests and special places in the mid-Atlantic coastal forest region. This has a severely negative impact on the people and the wildlife of the region, yet it does not have to be this way.

Our demands of the company are not a major burden. We are simply asking them to change the way they think about their packaging to transform their practices and move from the position of industry laggard to industry leader.
In that spirit, over the coming months we will explore the eight demands we have presented to KFC in a series on our blog. We will highlight each one, discuss the impact on our forests and communities if KFC takes no action, look at companies that are making a difference, and further expose the climate impact this lack of leadership has on our planet.

Our goal is for KFC to become a leader and in that spirit the demands include:

• Phase out the sourcing of paper products originating from endangered forests
• End the purchasing of paper products from suppliers that are contributing to the conversion of natural forests into plantations
• Maximize the use of post-consumer recycled paper in all its paper products
• When recycled is not available or feasible, source virgin fiber from responsibly managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Reduce overall packaging
• Maximize recovery of packaging waste
• Reduce the company’s carbon footprint associated with forest products
• Shift their purchasing dollars to suppliers that have policies and practices consistent with these goals

We hope you find this series to be both interesting and informative and would love for you to participate in the discussion via the comments section. If you have any thoughts or feedback or suggestions about fast food companies making a difference or how KFC is directly impacting you, please contact us here.

PS Check out our two minute video on the KFC demands and upcoming series below.