KFC criticized for its paper packaging
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Steve Chiotakis: KFC’s gotten into a bucket of trouble over its paper packaging. Environmentalists are accusing the fast-food outlet of helping to destroy southern forests here in the United States. From the Sustainability Desk, here’s Marketplace’s Sarah Gardner.
Sarah Gardner: A southern conservation group called the Dogwood Alliance says it’s tried to meet with KFC over where it gets its paper products, but to no avail. So today, it’s turning up the heat with a national media campaign dubbed “Kentucky Fried Forests.” Dogwood’s even using an image of “The Colonel” brandishing a chainsaw.
Danna Smith: KFC’s paper packaging for their buckets, napkins, bags, cups, it’s all coming from destroyed forests.
That’s Dogwood’s Danna Smith. Her group wants KFC to stop getting their paper from pine plantations and clear-cut forests. Dogwood launched a similar campaign against Staples in 2000 and succeeded.
Fast-food analyst Darren Tristano at Technomic expects KFC will re-consider its paper sourcing and recycled content.
Darren Tristano: However in this economy, we’re very much looking at how to save costs, not exactly looking at how to improve the environment.
KFC declined to comment on tape. But its Web site says much of its paper products come from forests certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, a standard some conservationists consider too lax.
I’m Sarah Gardner for Marketplace.
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