Quick Facts
Our approach
Reuse
Increase the use of recycled and reusable materials.
Collaborate
Lead through collaboration with partnerships and community support.
Innovate
Make our materials better by thinking outside the box.
How food gets to you and what happens after.
We design packaging to improve recyclability and reusability.
Our ambition is for all General Mills brands to design 100% of our packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030.
This means rethinking materials, reducing what we use and helping build a more circular system.
Progress comes down to three things: what packaging is made of, how it’s designed and what happens to it after use.
As of fiscal 2025, approximately 95% of our packaging is designed to be recyclable or reusable by weight.
We’re reducing the overall amount of plastic, steel and other materials we use for packaging. For plastic specifically, we’re simplifying what goes into each package, moving away from complex, multi-material formats that are harder to recycle.
We’re also working with suppliers to reduce emissions across our packaging supply chain.
Recycling packaging depends on more than the packaging itself. It depends on the recycling infrastructure, community access and people knowing what to do with something when they’re done with it.
That’s why we work with industry partners and communities to strengthen those systems, and why we support clearer labeling and consumer education so it’s easier to understand how to recycle packaging.
Packaging needs to do more than one job. It must protect food, maintain quality and meet high safety standards, while also reducing environmental impact.
We evaluate tradeoffs between recyclability, quality and safety, and greenhouse gas impact and functionality, testing and refining our packaging to make sure it holds up through everyday use, from store to pantry storage to the table and on the go.
We focus on three areas to drive progress:
We’re focused on packaging that supports both people and the planet, protecting food, reducing waste and giving materials a second life after they leave your kitchen.
Increase the use of recycled and reusable materials.
Lead through collaboration with partnerships and community support.
Make our materials better by thinking outside the box.
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Over 250 million pounds of plastic film — like grocery bags and shipping mailers — are recycled each year through store drop-off recycling. Many everyday items aren’t eligible for local curbside pickup; however, they can be recycled. That includes the cereal bag liner found in your favorite box of General Mills cereal, Nature Valley Crunchy bar wrappers, and more.
