Back to nature

Waitoa Free Range Chicken announced in November 2021 that it was the first net carbonzero certified free range chicken in Aotearoa New Zealand as backed up by Toitū’s independent certification.

What does Toitū net carbonzero mean? Toitū net carbonzero certification required Waitoa Free Range Chicken to show how they had already reduced emissions across the supply chain and demonstrate a plan to reduce them further. The remaining emissions are offset, and as they continue to cut these down further, they will offset less. This includes emissions from sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, packaging, cooking and washing the dishes at the end of the meal. Waitoa then measures, reports, and achieves annual carbon footprint reductions.

Waitoa has also recently set itself some impressive targets, including using 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or home-compostable packaging by 2025. Having achieved over 90 percent of that target already, it seems likely they will achieve that goal.

Most consumers are more interested in what’s in the bag than the bag itself but when that bag has been recognised through many prestigious awards, including the 2022 New Zealand Pride in Print Award, the 2022 Australian Institute of

Packaging Save Food Packaging Design of the Year Award, and the international 2023 WorldStar Global Packaging Award, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

In collaboration with packaging company Sealed Air, a new innovative design has allowed Waitoa Butterflied Bird bags to be made with 80 percent recycled plastic, significantly reducing the need to use virgin plastic in the packaging. The bag’s design also increases the shelf life of the product, meaning less food waste. How’s that for forward thinking?

The brand’s commitment to sustainability has resulted in an average of 77 percent recycled content across their entire plastic packaging range. This will save 50 tonnes of virgin plastic from being produced each year. Furthermore, this packaging can be recycled again through the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme available across New Zealand.

Waitoa Chicken have long understood the connection between happy animals and the environment. Now, by using recycled content in their packaging, they’ve pioneered a practice that sits well with their commitment to their free range chickens living in the rolling green hills of the Waikato.

But don’t take our word for it. The SPCA has already stamped its approval on the quality of these birds cared for by a community of local farmers whose holistic approach to farming is at the core of Waitoa’s sustainable practices. So when you next open your awardwinning recycled content bag, inside you’ll find a bird that is the product of a company that prioritises soil health, biodiversity, and water conservation. A company whose commitment to minimise its environmental footprint is ongoing. Give these guys a prize. Oh wait, quite a few have already.