KFC Canada Goes All in on Sustainable Packaging

KFC Canada took its iconic bucket to new heights today with a larger-than-life-size version made entirely from compostable materials. The installation, designed and built by Toronto-based artist, Briony Douglas, celebrates KFC Canada's recent milestone commitment: by 2025, all consumer-facing packaging will be fully home compostable.

Sustainability took a backseat during the pandemic. According to HT’s 2020 Customer Engagement Technology Survey, few were focused on recycling and environmental sustainability in 2020, but operators cannot and should not forget the importance of the environment to their guests and to the overall future of the hospitality industry.   Other restaurants are touting their Earth-friendly commitments. Taco Bell is partnering with TerraCycle to tackle recycle its sauce packets. In April, Chipotle announced a 51% waste diversion rate through recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy programs. 

As KFC will begin piloting its first home compostable bucket this year, the prototype buckets were the natural centerpiece and inspiration for the build. Douglas completed the installation over the course of 25 days – a nod to the 2025 commitment – using compostable materials, including flattened KFC compostable buckets, cardboard, newspaper, wood and flour.

"Our move to 100% home compostable consumer packaging is a huge step for KFC Canada: this bold commitment will divert nearly 200 million pieces of packaging from Canadian landfills each year," said Ira Dubinsky, Marketing Director, KFC Canada. "We wanted to mark this ambitious step with a strong visual that serves as testament to the work we're doing to drive meaningful change across the industry. We're thrilled with Briony's creation and the message it carries."

KFC Canada's Compostable Commitment Installation by Briony Douglas will live at KFC Canada Headquarters.