Malt-O-Meal has an agenda: it is out to change your mind about the cereal aisle.

“We think it’s time that people start changing the way they think about cereal and start getting smarter about how that cereal is packaged,” says Linda Fisher, consumer marketing manager for Malt-O-Meal.

Walk down the cereal aisle and you will see shelves lined with boxes. In a category that has long been dominated by boxed cereal, Malt-O-Meal is working to show consumers that there is a better, smarter way to buy their cereal – and it doesn’t have to cost more to do it. Through the company’s new Bag The Box initiative, Malt-O-Meal is setting out to show consumers that they not only can save money, but they can also feel good about buying more sustainable packaging by rethinking the box and buying cereal in a bag.

“We’re a small company – a David among Goliaths – and we originally introduced bags in 1965 because they saved money and gave us a competitive edge,” Fisher explained. “Truth is that cost savings were a big driver behind all our initiatives, from energy conservation to waste reduction. But we got to thinking about packaging and over-packaging, and realized that skipping the box and by packaging cereal in just a bag, we were also doing something good for the environment as well.”

In 2008, Malt-O-Meal hired Franklin Associates, a packaging consultant group, to analyze their carbon footprint. The group found that by packaging cereal in bags only, there’s 75 percent less consumer waste than the traditional bag-and-box packaging of most cereals. They also found that they were saving energy, fuel and other resources as well.

“People don’t have to pay a premium to be greener,” says Fisher. “Ninety percent of American households buy cereal. Every box has a plastic bag, which usually can’t be recycled, inside of it. Think of all the resources that go into producing the 2.3 billion boxes the U.S. produces each year, and then you put a plastic bag inside? That’s double packaging, and that’s unnecessary.”

Are Bags Better?

The inherent problem with any cereal bag is that it cannot be recycled in traditional plastic bag collections like at your local grocery store. Fisher says that’s because the bags are fabricated to preserve a long shelf life that grocers require and provide a moisture barrier, which keeps the cereal fresh. This applies to all types of cereal bags.

Cereal boxes are paperboard, so they can be recycled as long as they aren’t wet or contaminated.

(Earth911 invites you to Find your local recycle solution for paperboard)

But Malt-O-Meal sees the box as wasteful, even if it can be recycled. According to Fisher, Malt-O-Meal uses less energy and materials because resources aren’t used to produce boxes as well. “While we are firm believers in recycling, we are also advocates of reducing. It’s the reduce part were focused on,” she says.

While there are environmental positives by reducing packaging, there is still the matter of end-of-life disposal for Malt-O-Meal’s bags.

Enter TerraCycle.

The company collects hard-to-recycle materials and transforms them into usable products like messenger bags, fencing, coasters, stationery products and trash cans. The products can then be sent back to TerraCycle to begin the process all over again.

Simply sign up for the Cereal Bag Brigade, collect bags and mail them to TerraCycle. Each shipment earns you points that can be redeemed for $0.02 per bag for your school. Best of all, it’s totally free to participate.

If this isn’t an option for you, you can also reuse the bags. Because they are sturdy and resealable, Fisher suggests reusing them – not for food as they’re not made for secondary food use – but the many other things that need to be secured and stored. “We’ve heard from some of our customers that they make good crayon or coloring book holders for long road trip,” Fisher says.

Beyond Packaging

Malt-O-Meal’s sustainability efforts go beyond its packaging. It is the first cereal company to build new manufacturing facilities in a decade and it used as many green building and production practices as possible, including Energy Star-certified appliances.
“We do things differently,” Fisher says. “But we’re doing something right.”

The company purchases wind energy credits for its all-natural brands and has reduced water usage by 41 percent in the last 15 years. Its goal is to reach a 99-percent landfill diversion rate, and one plant has already reached 95 percent.

Fisher says that sustainability and good business go hand in hand. For instance, excess water at production facilities is a potential food safety problem. “So by reducing our water usage, we improve our food safety, and we’re also being more sustainable.”

For Malt-O-Meal, the goal has long been to pass cost savings to customers. A lot of money can be saved by adopting more sustainable business practices.

“Low cost innovation is in our DNA,” Fisher says. “We strive to find smarter, more efficient ways to do things without sacrificing quality, so we can continue to pass savings onto American families. Since 2005, we’ve saved American families over $1 billion.”

Family also seems to be in the Malt-O-Meal DNA. Now in its fourth generation, it’s been a family-owned business since the beginning.

“We take a long-view on every decision we make,” says Fisher. “If we can lessen our impact on the environment, everyone will be better off. That’s just the right thing to do, and we can do it in a way that makes business sense.”

To learn more about Malt-O-Meal’s sustainable packaging visit: http://bagthebox.com/our-blog/

Earth911 Editor’s Note: Earth911 partners with many industries, manufacturers and organizations to support its Recycling Directory, the largest in the nation, which is provided to consumers at no cost. Malt-O-Meal is one of these partners.

And that’s not the only chatter about Malt-O-Meal this week! Our Chairman and CEO, Chris Neugent, recently sat down with Forbes.com to discuss our vision and our values, and to explain the importance of skipping the box, of course. Check it out here.

We always want to encourage people to skip the box, but more importantly, this blog is intended to start meaningful discussions about being good stewards of our resources. Malt-O-Meal is proud to be part of such an important dialog – and we’d love to hear your thoughts too, to keep the conversation going.

Now that you’ve read what Mr. Stoiber and Forbes.com have to say: what do YOU think?

Coming in second place was Elvina Beck of Los Angeles. Her spoken word narrative called “Evolution of Box to Bag” lyrically chronicles the many reasons that buying Malt-O-Meal® cereal in bags is not only better for the environment*, but smarter in general. Justin Thomas of Salt Lake City, Utah won third prize with his “Cereal Factory Tour” that features great acting as well as a great message.

Contest entrants were given the artistic challenge of creating a video that told its viewers what “75% Less Packaging. 100% Smarter.™” means to them. A panel of judges selected these winners after viewing the more than fifty entries received.  Prizes included an electric bike, an iPad™ and an HD Flip Cam™.

Malt-O-Meal congratulates all the winners and consumers who are 100% smarter every day.

Putting cereal in a bag, then into a box? That's a symptom of "Redundability."

*75% less packaging based on the net weight of empty consumer packaging per pound of cereal delivered. Even when their box size is smaller, the net weight of their box and empty inner bag is still greater than the net weight of the larger Malt-O-Meal bag when empty.

Malt-O-Meal announces the official launch of www.bagthebox.com. The new Web site provides a fun way to challenge and inspire consumer thought surrounding excess food packaging and what “75% Less Packaging*. 100% Smarter.” means for the environment.

Site visitors are encouraged to learn more and participate in activities at a number of interactive areas on the site. Visitors are also asked to share their thoughts on the topic of reducing the amount of consumer packaging waste. The goal of the site is to urge consumers to make more conscious choices when purchasing products that will help reduce packaging waste at home. There is a video contest that prompts entrants to address the “75% Less Packaging*. 100% Smarter.” contest theme. Entrants must be members of the Malt-O-Meal Facebook Community to enter the video contest.

A humorous, animated short makes its debut on the new www.bagthebox.com web site featuring an “odd couple” discussing the topic of excessive consumer packaging. Visitors are encouraged to comment and share their insights in the area provided on the new site.
 The Let’s Talk page of the new website addresses what is being said by consumers regarding the topic of consumer packaging waste, as well as feature a live feed of comments surrounding this, and other topics coming directly from members of the Malt-O-Meal Facebook Community. You can join the Malt-O-Meal Facebook Community by visiting: www.facebook.com/MaltOMealFanPage.

*75% less packaging based on the net weight of empty consumer packaging per pound of cereal delivered. Even when their box size is smaller, the net weight of their box and empty inner bag is still greater than the net weight of the larger Malt-O-Meal® bag when empty.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN September 10, 2009 – Minneapolis-based Malt-O-Meal Company, the largest family owned cereal manufacturer in the country, today announced a new partnership with TerraCycle, an upstart up-cycling company that takes packaging materials and turns them into affordable, high quality goods. The partnership will create 1,250 Malt-O-Meal Cereal Bag Brigades in elementary and secondary schools across the country.

Malt-O-Meal Cereal Bag Brigades will function as collection sites for post-use Malt-O-Meal cereal bags and help prevent a significant amount of packaging waste from going into landfills. Individuals or school groups can sign up to sponsor a Brigade, with proceeds to benefit a designated school, school-sponsored club, or school-sponsored special interest group. There is no cost to start a Brigade, and all shipping costs are paid. For every Malt-O-Meal cereal bag collected and upcycled through TerraCycle, the designated school will receive a $.02 donation from TerraCycle.

“Bags create 75% less packaging to dispose of than comparable cereal box packaging that includes both a box and an inside bag*,” said Paul Reppenhagen, Director of Marketing. “Now, for every Malt-O-Meal cereal bag that is collected and returned to TerraCycle, we can reduce that packaging waste to zero.”

Malt-O-Meal makes over 25 varieties of ready-to-eat cereal including some of the country’s most popular cereals. All Malt-O-Meal cereal varieties can be collected and upcycled by Malt-O-Meal Cereal Bag Brigades.

To learn more about Terracycle or to sign up to sponsor a Malt-O-Meal Cereal Bag Brigade, go to http://www.terracycle.net/brigades/21-Malt-O-Meal-Cereal-Bag-Brigade-

About the Malt-O-Meal Company
Founded in 1919, Minneapolis-based Malt-O-Meal Company produces over 25 different ready-to-eat cereals, three varieties of Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheat cereal, and a full line of oatmeal products. Malt-O-Meal cereals are enjoyed in over 27 million households nationwide. Ten varieties of ready-to-eat cereal rank among the top 50 best-selling cereals in the country. For more information on the company, including where to buy Malt-O-Meal cereals and how to join Cereal Central (an online community featuring tips on how to save money), visit www.maltomeal.com, friend us at www.facebook.com/maltomeal or follow us on Twitter @maltomeal.

About TerraCycle
Content to come from TerraCycle

*Based on the net weight of empty consumer packaging per pound of cereal delivered. Even when their box is smaller, the net weight of the box and empty bag is still greater than the net weight of the larger Malt-O-Meal bag when empty.

What are we doing?

➢    Our convenient re-sealable bags contribute significantly to a reduction in materials and disposable waste. Each year, there are about 2.5 billion cereal boxes sold in the United States. If even half of those boxes were bags, we’d save 90,000 tons of paperboard.* The energy saved could power over 11,000 homes for a year. It would eliminate 170 million gallons of waste water. By eliminating the exterior box, we’ve reduced the amount of packaging that consumers need to dispose of by 75%!**

➢    We’re working hard to reduce the resources we use to produce and package our cereal products. We have active programs to reduce energy and minimize water use at our Northfield, Minnesota plant. Since 1996, we have reduced the water used to make cereal by 41% and we’ve reduced our energy use by 10%. That adds up to millions of gallons of water and KWh of energy saved through conservation.

➢    We have many recycling programs throughout our company, and over 99% of the waste in our Northfield plant is recycled.

What can your family do?

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They’re more energy efficient and last longer, so they’ll save you money in the long run.
• Check dishwasher settings. Choose “air dry” or “no heat dry” to save energy.
• Shorten your showers. Every minute in the shower uses four to six gallons of water. Cut our daily shower by just one minute and you’ll save about 1,500 gallons in a year.
• Heat leftovers in a microwave. Faster heating equals less energy.
• Wait for the full load. Whether cleaning dishes or clothes, run your machine only when you have a full load.
• Shut down and unplug. Computers use energy even when turned off and chargers use energy if you leave them plugged in when not in use. On any appliance, a glowing light means energy is being used.

• Recycle. When you can’t reduce or reuse, recycle. Understand your neighborhood program to make the most of it.
• Minimize idle time. When waiting to pick the kids up, turn off your car to save gas and reduce emissions.
• Put on a sweater. Save 5% for  every degree you turn down your thermostat in the winter.
• Donate used clothing, toys and household items. If you can’t use it, perhaps someone else can.

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*Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator. For more information, visit www.papercalculator.org.

** Based on the net weight of empty consumer packaging of comparable size packages.  Even when their box size is smaller, the net weight of their box and empty inner bag is still greater than the net weight of the larger Malt-O-Meal bag when empty.