The Dogwood Alliance has been trying for years to get KFC to choose packaging that doesn't destroy southern forests. Earlier this month they had a small victory!

KFC, owned by Yum Brands, is an iconic southern fast food brand, which is why Dogwood Alliance chose them for their southern forests campaign. This month, the company released a new packaging policy that includes more recycled paper products and stop sourcing paper from fragile southern ecosystems.

According to a press release from Dogwood Alliance:

We’ve been studying the implications of the policy and talking with the company’s biggest suppliers to ensure that there’s real change on the ground for our forests. After much analysis, we are now confident that it will.

But they also caution that while this is a great first step, it is only the first step on the way to truly sustainable packaging for KFC. As they point out, KFC's new policy - which you can read here - doesn't touch on deforestation. Dogwood Alliance won a clear victory for southern forests this year, and now they're asking us to support the Greenpeace campaign asking KFC USA to stop buying paper from Asia Pulp and Paper, who is notorious for deforestation practices in countries like Indonesia.

Of course, no amount of recycled or sustainably-sourced paper is going to change the food at KFC. You can wrap deep fried, salty, factory-farmed meat in anything you want. It's still deep fried, salty, factory-farmed meat. Still, I think you have to give these companies props when they do the right thing. Otherwise, they won't have any reason to make more positive changes, right? Sustainable packaging today, better ingredients sourcing tomorrow, maybe?

What do you guys think about the new policy? Will it make you more likely to grab some KFC in a pinch?

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by Marufish