By Jill Park

KFC has developed a lid for its fast-food buckets that weighs 50% less than its predecessor and makes a significant contribution towards the restaurant chain's aim to reduce its packaging by 1,400 tonnes in 2009.

 

The chain has moved the lid from a double-ply material weighing 9.49lbs to single-ply, which weighs half that of the original at 4.81lbs.

 

International Paper supplied KFC with the lids, which will be available in the UK this month.

 

According to the company, moving to the new lid will reduce the weight of material used for that part of its packaging by 220 metric tonnes a year, which equates to 16% of KFC's target savings for 2009.

 

In January, the restaurant chain switched its Fillet and Zinger burgers from cardboard clamshells to paper wrappers, and moved its Classic chicken meals, the Colonel's Meal and Variety Meal, from cardboard boxes to paper bags.

 

KFC also moved its Mini Fillet Burgers from foil to paper wrappers in February.

 

London-based design agency Design Bridge was responsible for designing the last round of packaging alterations – all of which are recyclable, biodegradable and made in the UK.

From: packagingnews.co.uk